The Highclarian - 2018-19

The Highclarian

2018-19

Highclare School

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

Contents

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Headmaster’s welcome / A word from the Chair of Governors

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Review by the Head of Senior School

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Preparatory School Review 2018-2019

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Senior School Sports Review

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Preparatory School Sports Review

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Music and Drama

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Art and Technology

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Highclare CSI

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Science and Maths

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Sixth Form

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Humanities

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Senior School Prize Giving

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Preparatory School Prize Giving

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Pre-Preparatory School News

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Preparatory School News

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Competition News

26

Charities and Fund Raising

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Junior School Art Competition 2019

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Trips

30

Exam Results

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Duke of Edinburgh

Senior School Glastonbury Lunch

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

Welcome Modern Foreign Languages and Physical Education, including dance and movement, who are delivering those fantastic outcomes for our boys and girls that would be beyond the reach of the more conventional settings.

It was an excellent year. Enjoy reading!

Best wishes R Luker Headmaster

A word from the Chair of Governors The publication of our latest Highclarian magazine once again illustrates the impressive opportunities and experiences which were available to our pupils at all ages during the 2018/2019 academic year. We look back on 2018/2019 with great pride not only at our pupils’ achievements but the motivation and enthusiasm that has been displayed whilst they have embraced these opportunities.

Even the briefest of surveys of this magazine will indicate to you the rich breadth and depth of learning experiences that are provided in our senior and preparatory schools. I hope you very much enjoy reading this excellent summary of the recent school year.

It has been an amazing year in which much has been enjoyed and achieved by the boys and girls in our care. They have been challenged and engaged by a learning curriculum that is broad and balanced and which is kept under constant review to ensure it provides the optimum outcomes with regard to knowledge and skills and preparation for now and for the future.

This word ‘preparation’ is the foundation stone of the change to the name that occurred as the new calendar year came in. A late Middle English word from the Latin verb praeparare, the dictionary explains the word ‘preparatory’ as serving as or carrying out preparation for a task or undertaking. It therefore made perfect sense to re-engage with this word to explain and define our early years, infant and junior settings and to reinforce our credentials as a trusted and successful school for children from rising three years to eighteen years.

From Pre-Prep to U6, Highclare School is dedicated to educating the whole person, and the commitment of our staff to their teaching as well as providing a vast range of extra-curricular activities enables our pupils to fulfil their potential in so many ways. Thank you to all the staff at Highclare School for their continuing hard work in making the school the successful, happy and thriving community it is. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you, our parents, who do so much to support your children and the School.

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 and staff throughout the School who continue to achieve at the highest levels. Well done, everyone.

2019 - 2020 already promises to be an exciting and busy year with the key focus being, as ever, the importance of providing the best possible educational experience for your children at all levels, my Board colleagues and I look forward to seeing you at as many School events as possible. I know there will be many from which to choose!

May I, on behalf of the whole Board, wish you all a hugely successful and happy 2019 - 2020.

Louise Flowith Chair of Governors

The use of the word ‘preparatory’ also helpfully serves to place more emphasis on our status as a truly Independent school, something which is increasingly relevant in a national educational system that allows more and more maintained schools to claim independence from local education authority control.

Highclare Preparatory School now operates in our two familiar and much loved settings: St Paul’s and Woodfield. The emphasis on the singular, but in operation at two locations, underscores our oneschool approach to delivering a first-class education regardless of the setting in which it is delivered. For instance, it provides the opportunity for us to have specialist teachers in Science, Music,

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

Senior School Review

As the summer fades into the memory and the autumn evenings draw in, I really enjoy taking the time to remember the events and successes of the year gone by. As staff and pupils in the Senior School settle themselves down to the demands of another academic year, it is always a good time to remind myself of some of the highlights of last year.

being ‘… a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community’. At Highclare, we do our very best to ensure that we equip our young people to follow this guidance.

‘Take Charge’ has now become embedded in the School lexicon to such an extent that pupils are always ready to refer to its principles both in lessons and during assemblies. Our young people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of taking responsibility for their own learning and I am confident that they now possess the wherewithal to ensure that they are prepared for the challenges that they will face during the year ahead. I am delighted to report that our new U3 pupils have been introduced to the ‘Take Charge’ initiative and are already becoming familiar with its main tenets. Likewise, pupils in other year groups are conscious of the ‘Take Charge’ guidelines and can be relied upon to refer to the importance of challenging themselves every day and aiming high when discussing progress and attainment with their teachers.

In order to maintain mental health and wellbeing it is important to assist our young people to become more resilient so as to be better able to face the challenges of modern life. We encourage our youngsters to develop in the round through being involved in sport, music, drama and by joining the various extra-curricular clubs that we have on offer. We encourage pupils in U4 and above to enroll in the excellent Duke of Edinburgh Scheme which is a very effective way in which to instill the important skills of resilience and determination in our pupils. Added to this, we encourage all our young people to take part in outside trips, both local and overseas. I had the pleasure of accompanying the Modern Foreign Languages/History trip to Normandy last Easter and am very much looking forward to the forthcoming Geography trip to Costa Rica at half-term. The sports trip to Barcelona in July was also a great success and the youngsters who took part thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the opportunities they were given to play against some excellent Spanish teams. Thanks are due to Mrs DeSousa Bartlett and Miss Harvey for organising and leading this very enjoyable event. It is always a pleasure to watch our young people take part in these events and to see them enjoy the experiences that we are able to offer.

I regard it as a privilege to be part of a school which sees the happiness and wellbeing of its young people as being central to its success. We pride ourselves on the support and encouragement that we provide for our children and young people, and are fully conscious of the pressures and anxieties they face in this modern, digital age. I firmly believe, as many of you will have heard me say, that a child who feels secure and happy will be capable of achieving great things. More so than ever before, our young people are very vulnerable to the many outside influences they face as they begin their journey into adulthood. Consequently, I believe that it is important that we continue to support and protect them to the best of our abilities through what can be a very anxious time for many young people.

You will have heard and read reports in the media about the number of schools in the UK that are addressing the challenges of a growing mental health epidemic in both primary and secondary schools. We also lay great emphasis on our mental as well as physical health, by talking about our feelings and supporting each other. Pupil wellbeing is not only important in its own right but is also the foundation of academic success, which is why the happiness and wellbeing of the pupils in our care is one of the core objectives of the School. With this in mind, I am delighted to report that we have decided to adopt ‘Young Minds’ again this year as our chosen charity. Not only is this a cause that we are fully committed to, but we also feel that the work that they do with young people is second to none. Young Minds sees mental health as

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Many other wonderful events took place over the past year – too numerous to mention - which you will have seen highlights of in our various publications.

However, particular highlights for me were witnessing the Preparatory School pupils take part in the Science experience days arranged by Mrs Dudley, our excellent Head of Science, and the musical talents on offer in both the Senior and Preparatory Schools during the ensembles and concerts organised by Miss Cassells and Miss Broder. I am also greatly looking forward to the launch of our Senior School musical, We Will Rock You and I hope to see as many of you as possible in the audience.

As I have stated many times before, it is a privilege and honour to be Head of the Senior School and, with the continued support of our wonderful staff and parents, I look forward to another eventful and successful academic year.

Mrs A Moore Head of Highclare Senior School

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

Preparatory School Review 2018-2019 The past academic year has been a year of change. In January, the Junior School became the Preparatory School, Pre-School became Pre-Prep and we said goodbye to our final class of Ladybirds. This change underscores our one-school approach to delivering a first-class early years and primary education and also to place more emphasis on our status as a truly Independent school.

Amongst the changes, the Preparatory Schools have continued to be hubs of endless energy, learning and excitement. The love of learning and the constant inquisitive nature of the children fill us all with joy. As teachers, we nurture this as the most precious gift. The ever evolving primary curriculum allows us to meet individual needs and tailor our teaching to the interests of our children. Watching children learning and succeeding is amazing but watching the children learning to accept their errors, with smiles on their faces and having the confidence to try again, is what gives us the most satisfaction. In the Preparatory schools, learning to ‘FAIL’ is more than OK. ‘FAIL’ to us is our ‘First Attempt At Learning.’ We want all of our children to achieve their full potential in whatever area they thrive and to do this whilst they are smiling and laughing is wonderful.

I feel blessed each day to be involved in the all-round development of all the children in the Preparatory Schools from our youngest 2 year olds, to those Year 6s who are about to spread their wings into the world of Senior schools. The motivation, dedication and talents of the children are incredible. Our Take Charge initiative is well-embedded within the Preparatory Schools now and it is regularly referred to by pupils and staff alike. Assemblies have been delivered on many different local, national and global themes, ensuring that our children are aware of the wider world in which they live. We have cross location lessons, assemblies, workshops and trips which have allowed our Preparatory pupils to feel part of our one school.

Every pupil from Pre-Prep to Year 6 has taken part in numerous performances this year from class assemblies to Christmas productions and workshops. The ever popular Grandparents' Afternoons, multiple carol and choir concerts both as a Preparatory school and on occasions, combined with the Senior School, all gave our children opportunities to show off their beautiful singing voices. The Art Recital Evenings continued to flourish allowing the musical and LAMDA talent within the Preparatory Schools to be showcased. The KS2 productions of What a Knight! at Highclare Preparatory School: St Paul’s and Super Stan at Highclare Preparatory School: Woodfield again wowed the audiences and created memories that the children will never forget. Prize Giving, concerts and ensembles also give our children the opportunity to shine brightly in different situations to different audiences.

The self-confidence these opportunities create are 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 full potential throughout his or her educational journey at school.

Charity plays a huge part in the Preparatory Schools. Again, as has become Highclare tradition, Year 6 across the school were transformed into entrepreneurs in our Young Enterprise Challenge in the Summer term. We raised a staggering amount of money for our charities through the children’s hard work and determination. Their inventiveness and ideas continue to amaze me each year and the parental support at this event is staggering. The rest of the school have also played their part in raising money for charity from themed days to Bring and Buys and Bake sales to name but a few initiatives. Our inaugural Year 3 to 6 sleepover was also another massive success.

Who would have thought so many children (and staff) would want to spend their Friday night asleep at school?

‘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. Our residential trips in both Year 5 and 6 allow the children to apply these skills to everyday situations and show us how ready they are for Year 7 and beyond. It is a privilege to be able to watch these skills in action and see how well our children come together, as a team, in different circumstances with compassion, determination and focus.

I look forward to the next academic year, eager to see how pupils take charge of the endless possibilities which become within reach at Highclare Preparatory School.

Mrs P Bennett Head of Highclare Prepratory School

Each pupil from reception upwards is placed in a house and is part of our house system. House competitions and assemblies mean that every child has the opportunity to represent their house and feel part of a successful team. For the older children there is also the opportunity to represent their school in local, regional and in some cases national events, such as in ISA football, triathlons and cross country festivals. Sport continues to thrive at Highclare with more fixtures and extra-curricular than ever before for all of our children to enjoy.

We are so proud of all our pupils in Highclare Preparatory 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 well-prepared for the

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

Senior School Sports Review Swimming

Senior School Sports Day 2019

Pupils have once again produced exceptional individual and team performances at local and national swim competitions. On 1 December senior school swimmers put on a superb performance at the ISA National Swimming Finals held at the London Aquatics Centre, home of the 2012 Olympic swimming pool.

Highclare pupil Jodie returned to Highclare Senior School triumphant after achieving both a Gold and Bronze medal at the national competition. Both races had close finishes, particularity the 50m Breaststroke. Jodie achieved a Gold medal in this race with less than a second between first and second place. Congratulations!

Following a change in date and venue due to weather conditions ( a fantastic call by the PE department) Senior School Sports Day 2019 took place on a sunny Friday morning at the Highclare Sports Field. Pupils and staff enjoyed a revised timetable of events during an impressive morning of competitive sports. As always Senior School sports day was an inclusive event where all pupils contribute to the final house score through putting in their best and taking part.

We are pleased to announce Tudor as the middle school champions and York as the senior school champions, congratulations.

Football This year our football teams have participated in the ESSFA league and the U16 ISA tournament, providing plenty of opportunity to take part in lots of matches, display Highclare spirit and fantastic football skills across all age categories.

Cross Country Highclare pupils continue to excel at cross country across all ages upto national level.

Special congratulations to Jack Newman who placed first in the Sutton School race and first in his age category at the ISA Midlands Cross Country event.

Netball Hockey Over the winter months our hockey teams displayed tremendous team spirit as they competed at local and regional level. All players have grown in confidence whilst enjoying the experience. Special mention to the girls team who placed third in the Sutton School Hockey League in March.

Across the winter and spring terms Highclare netball team demonstrated superb skill whilst playing some tough matches.

Athletics During the summer term Highclare Senior School athletes competed at the midland and national ISA Championship at the Alexander Stadium. All athletes competed with resilience culminating with Highclare finishing fourth out of 21 ISA schools at regional level.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

Preparatory School Sports Review Highclare Preparatory School has enjoyed another superb year of sport, with sporting events continuing to play a vital role in the preparatory school calendar.

Being part of a sports team offers children an opportunity to belong as well as developing and improving skills taught both on and off the pitch. At Highclare Preparatory School it is fantastic to see pupils take charge of their sporting capabilities, thriving as they take on new challenges under the guidance and care of excellent teachers.

It has been a year of great achievement on the sporting field, teams have played matches in our main sports of football, hockey, netball, cricket and rounders. We have also entered teams in cross country meets, athletics tournaments, swimming galas, triathlons and Tri-golf competitions. All the children have been committed to their sport and produced some fantastic results against teams from near and far. the excellent coaching they receive from Mr Sneekes, finishing 13th in England is an outstanding achievement when so many schools play football.

After another successful day at the ISA Regional Athletics, 4 outstanding athletes were set to represent the midlands at the national athletics finals, another incredible day for William Stead, Hugh Mason-Williams and Tiffany Latham who all ran in the 600m and Joshua Jones who ran the 150m.

In 2018-19 Highclare Preparatory School took part in 65 fixtures compared with 46 in 2017 and children as young as J2 have had the opportunity to represent the school. These fixtures have spanned from internal school competitions to major ISA tournaments.

The ISA competitions and venues are always of the highest standard and have enabled preparatory school pupils to compete in some amazing facilities such as the Alexander Stadium and the Olympic pool. Skills taught both on and off the pitch are for life and will help pupils on their journey to develop into well-rounded individuals.

The ISA National Triathlon and Aquathlon were two more outstanding events for Highclare Prep School proving our dominance both in the pool and on the track. Another new event on the Highclare Prep School Calendar was the ISA National Gymnastics.

The U9 girls scooped 2 of the 6 medals available so well done to Lily Dudley (4th) and Isabella Rutter (6th).

This year has been one of Highclare Preparatory Schools' most successful years in terms of the number of trophies won. We feel very proud of our achievements. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Upham and Mr Sneekes who have worked so hard to enable pupils to do this.

There have been some notable national performances this year. Hugh MasonWilliams, Daisey-May Price and Tiffany Latham represented The Midlands at the National swimming finals in London with Hugh setting a new national record in the year 5 boys Freestyle. Highclare Prep also took back ALL of the trophies from the Sutton Schools Gala scooping 1st overall for the girls, 2nd overall for the boys, 1st in relays and an impressive overall 1st for the gala’s.

The ISA cross country was another successful event – After an outstanding day at Bedstone College, Highclare Prep School had 6 top 10 finishers heading to the nationals, a huge well done to William Stead, James Marrett, Lily Dudley, William Hoe, Finley Pike and Tiffany Latham. Overall we finished: 3rd in U9 girls, 2nd in the U9 boys, 2nd in U11 girls and Joint 1st in U11 Boys.

At the Twycross cross country meet, Highclare Preparatory School finished 2nd in U11 girls and 1st in U11 boys.

Well done to William Stead who came 2nd, James Marrett who finished 3rd, Hugh Mason-Williams who finished 4th and Yousef Shimal who came in 6th.

The girls also had notable successes: Tiffany Latham came 2nd and Chloe Pike finished 6th. At the Twycross U9 cross country pupils finished 2nd in the boys team event. Individual congratulations must go to Lily Dudley for finishing 3rd, Finley Pike also finishing 3rd and William Hoe who came 4th.

The J6 boys football team represented Highclare at the ISA National Football Finals after winning the Midlands regional event. We are incredibly proud of our boys and

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

Music and Drama Review Little Red Riding Hood Highclare Pre-Preparatory children and staff were delighted to present Little Red Riding Hood, a Highclare Pre-Preparatory School Swans production, to parents and grandparents.

In preparation, the children learned the narrative of the story through ‘Talk4Writing’ and songs and musical skills in their music lessons with our specialist music teacher, Miss Broder.

The dances were choreographed by our specialist dance teacher, Mrs Florey-Meah. Pupils wowed the audience with their impressive story telling, glorious singing and delightful dancing. The woodcutters in particular demonstrated super acting potential!

HighC Jazz Band Aim High at Music for Youth Festival

Young Voices 2019

During March, Highclare HighC Jazz Band attended the Music for Youth Festival in Birmingham and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon performing to an audience of senior school students from across Birmingham and well-renowned music mentors.

Young Voices selects music that creates a diverse musical repertoire, all with the intention of introducing children to the widest possible spectrum of music. By providing a diverse range of musical styles children will learn, enjoy and gain a fuller understanding of music and what it means to sing together.

On returning to school HighC Jazz received the wonderful news that they have been invited to perform at the National Festival!

The Jazz Band did not just turn up and ‘aim high’ on the day, all pupils clearly value music and its importance, and attend weekly rehearsals, giving up their Thursday lunchtimes. To get together with like-minded youngsters, make music, learn new skills, develop self-discipline, and represent their school is a true achievement that they should be proud of! Miss Cassells, Head of Music, Senior School

Romeo and Juliet on Stage at Highclare Senior School Highclare L5 and U5 students welcomed the Fred Theatre Company into school this week as a complementary session to their GCSE studies on Romeo and Juliet.

Six professional actors performed the GCSE text-based production of the play, allowing students to view the text as it should be, on stage. The Fred Theatre Company produces a faithful rendition of the original play, just a little shorter, allowing it to be brought to life within the school day, in our school grounds.

The cast concluded the performance with a discussion of the play’s themes, characters, how they approached the production and choices made in rehearsal, with an opportunity for teachers and students to ask questions.

It was a wonderful opportunity to solidify the students' knowledge of Romeo and Juliet outside of the classroom.

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J5 and J6 pupils from Highclare Preparatory School enjoyed a wonderful evening of music and song when they joined over 6000 children at the Genting Arena, Birmingham to take part in Young Voices 2019. This was a fantastic opportunity for pupils and staff to perform a diverse range of songs as one single choir at an international venue.

Listening to thousands of children, including our very own pupils, singing united, is a magical musical experience. Amazing performances from children and guests and Tony Hadley was pure GOLD! Miss S Broder, Head of Music, Highclare Preparatory School.

Highclare pupils behaved impeccably throughout the day, it was an extraordinary experience.

Oh, What A Knight indeed!

Highclare Preparatory School: St Paul’s outstanding production 2019 was staged just before the end of spring half term. J3 to J6 pupils introduced family and friends to Arthur and the knights of the Round Table on Camelot’s craziest quest in a hilarious musical adventure!

A castle full of colourful characters joined in the fun, including precocious princesses, a talking dragon – and not forgetting Merlin and his magic mirror, What a Knight, written by Craig Hawes, took Highclare preparatory pupils on the biggest quest of their lives! After lots of lines learnt and songs sung, we can definitely say… “What a Show”.

All in all, it was a fabulous production. The children worked extremely hard on all three performances and their dedication and commitment shone through. As always, we wish to thank parents for attending and supporting the production. Mrs P Bennett, Head of Preparatory School

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2018-19

The Amazing Performance of Superstan at Highclare Preparatory School: Woodfield The year’s Highclare Preparatory School: Woodfield production can be described in just one word, AMAZING. The Amazing Adventures Of Superstan to be precise.

All pupils played an important role and delivered a truly wonderful performance. The level of acting was truly excellent, all of J6 enjoyed a speaking part and demonstrated the confidence to be on stage and perform in front of an audience.

Well done to J3, J4 and J5 pupils who supported the performance with their wonderful singing with a special mention to the small group of J5 children who took on the remaining acting roles and participated as extras for the citizen scenes.

There were plenty of laughs, cheers and groans (at the intentional bad jokes!).

The audience on both nights really enjoyed themselves and the staff involved thoroughly enjoyed working with the children to put together this year’s performance. Congratulations.

A remarkable Recital Evening at Highclare Senior School Students of all ages at Highclare Senior School performed a variety of music, speech and drama items at the spring term's wonderful Performing Arts Recital Evening, a most enjoyable occasion.

The programme comprised a broad spectrum of musical styles, including impressive renditions of Bach’s Double Violin Concerto (Harry Mills, accompanied by Miss Minchin and Mr Barber); Ben Bonner’s virtuosic Mohair Mountain rock guitar solo; some wonderful piano solos and duets (Kavarna Spence, Marcus Koasha, Ketii Abebe, Amina Mukhtar, Gracious Kamangira); ‘pop’ covers (Matthew Moring, Nellie Gwaza, Kia Weekes, Rhapsody Choir); Musical Theatre numbers (Emilia Gomm, String Ensemble, Matthew Foletti) and uplifting jazz pieces, courtesy of James Gibson, Elis Jackson, Harry Abbott, Mr Whitham and Mrs Okeghie.

Drama acts ranged from a powerful piece on disability rights from Sixth Formers Jess Bonner and India Dewsbury; a creepy scene from The Woman in Black from the Lower Fifth (Pranav Ramesh, Toby Walton, Kaylah Pedro-Ward, Amani Palmer-Peters); a fabulous opening from the second act of Blood Brothers (Joe De Waele, Joe Walford, Aditya Gosavi) and more spookiness from the U3 and L4 Drama club with Goosebumps scenes.

The entertainment didn’t stop there – LAMDA students thrilled the audience with poetry (Nia Eubanks); monologues (Ruby Edmonds, Isabelle Quartermain) and comedy. Students made it seem as though There’s Nothing To It (scene by Ayo Odofin and Jess Bonner, who stepped in at the last minute), when in fact a lot of practice and preparation had gone into all the performances.

Grandparents’ Afternoon Junior pupils from Highclare Preparatory School put on a wonderful Christmas concert for their grandparents and family.

The concert featured a number of different performances such as Deck the Halls performed on boomwhackers and We Wish You a Merry Christmas performed on handbells. J3 and J4 showed off their recorder skills by performing Good Kind Wenceslas and Jingle Bells and we all joined forces, including the audience, to sing some traditional carols. Our fantastic class teachers worked hard with their classes in teaching them to recite poetry, which had our audience laughing. The finale piece, Jingle Bells, which included audience participation on percussion, ended the whole concert. This afternoon was enjoyed by all.

Preparatory School Arts Recital Evenings Throughout the year pupils from Highclare Preparatory School have the opportunity to take to the stage and perform an exciting programme of music and poetry to family and friends. These evenings are always of an exceptional standard, hugely entertaining and give an opportunity to our young musicians and actors, from reception through to J6 to showcase and celebrate their superb talent and dedication.

KS1PieceTogetheranAmazing Magical Christmas Jigsaw Reception, J1 and J2 amazed family and friends with wonderful performances of their nativity on the lead up to Christmas. All pupils who took part in the nativity performed with enthusiasm and confidence, delivering lines with poise and singing beautifully. We are very proud of all involved. It was clear how much hard work and dedication had been put into each performance.

A Superb Christmas Concert Highclare pupils from Highclare Senior and Preparatory Schools put on a very entertaining evening of festive music at the annual Christmas Concert held at Highclare Senior School.

The evening opened with the Highclare Preparatory and Senior schools' orchestras joining forces, performing enthusiastic renditions of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. The evening continued with exceptional performances from pupils across the school, with surprise guest soloists (Mrs Quigley and Mrs Okeghie) during the Preparatory and Senior school guitar ensemble performing Peter Gunn Theme and a super performance from our Junior Choir of Super Santa, superhero props included!

The Highclare School finale of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day had everyone singing and as always the evening was a lovely festive edition to the school calendar. Thank you to all who supported the concert.

This was a marvellous showcase of Highclarian talent, dedication and hard work and all participants should be extremely proud of themselves.

Thank you to all students and staff who made it happen. Miss A Cassells, Head of Senior School Music.

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Art & Technology

The Big Classroom U4 ICT students were involved in an exciting project this year called “The Big Classroom”, which enables different schools across the UK to get in touch with each other to see how they live, learn, play and worship.

Pre-Preparatory School Art Exhibition

As part of this project U4 students worked in teams using iPads to film and celebrate all things great about Highclare School life. They will be using video editing software to make a mini movie. The best ones will be chosen to be shared with another school somewhere in the UK who we then hope to start a dialogue with, see how different their life is to ours and celebrate cultural diversity. We look forward to sharing their films!

Highclare Pre-Preparatory School: St Paul’s wowed fellow pupils, family and friends during an impromptu art exhibition.

During a topic on babies our pre-prep pupils created wonderful artwork using The Cholmondeley Ladies, an early 17th century English oil painting, as inspiration. Pupils concentrated hard and spent time looking closely at the painting which depicts two women seated upright and side by side in bed, each holding a baby. They created their paintings in small stages adding details over time.

Our mini artists were very proud to see their artwork displayed in the School Hall and it was a pleasure to see their hard work being enjoyed by the children of the Preparatory School and family alike. We received some lovely comments from members of the Preparatory school and parents and would like to thank everyone for attending our exhibition and Mrs Amiss for her hard work supporting the children during this topic.

Highclare Pupils Work on a Live Brief for Porsche Senior pupils at Highclare School have worked on a live design brief for Porsche to celebrate its 70th Anniversary, attending a digital design workshop with Rachel Richardson-Jones on November 5th.

Pupils were asked to celebrate the 70th anniversary as well as reflect Highclare Schools’ support of the charity ‘Young Minds’, by incorporating a positive and uplifting message into their designs.

Pupils were introduced to a range of Photoshop tutorials to create both a seamless repeating pattern or ‘tile’ and a single-image combined with typography elements. They used a range of colours inspired by the Porsche exterior paint colour range in their designs.

The school was very fortunate to be visited by two wonderful Porsche models later that week, the Miami Blue was a real hit! Two U5 pupils photographed these iconic cars, as part of ongoing GCSE coursework.

U5 GCSE Pupils Cook Up a Storm During Final Practical Task A crowd gathered around the Food Technology department at Highclare Senior School as the U5 GCSE food preparation and nutrition pupils cooked up a storm whilst carrying out their final 3 hour practical task for their non-examined assessment Task 2.

Having already completed four technical practical dishes that answered a defined task pupils had to then devise a final menu comprising of three dishes they had not served before and that could be completed in three hours.

All pupils were well planned and organised with some fantastic food produced completely from scratch including pasta, pastry, curries, bread, meringues and many more dishes of a high skill level. Congratulations to all the pupils for their hard work.

GCSE and A Level Gallery Display Pupils and their families were able to view the impressive work from U5 students studying GCSE Art, Craft & Design and GCSE Photography following the visit from the examination board moderator.

The display included students coursework on a variety of themes including Architecture and Artists of War, and examination work on the theme Reflections, to which students then developed their own personal response.

Within GCSE Art, Craft & Design, students had the opportunity to explore a variety of disciplines within the subject, including Fine Art, Photography, Digital Art & Graphic Design, to broaden their knowledge of the field, where as GCSE Photography students specialised in Digital Photography and editing using software such as Lightroom & Photoshop.

The showcase displayed the talent and hard work of all U5 students, and wowed visiting parents and teachers alike.

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Highclare CSI This year we saw the launch of Preparatory School Science Days at Highclare Senior School, where J4 and J5 pupils spent the day with the Highclare Senior School science department learning new skills and encouraging a deeper love of science. Both days were hugely successful and we look forward to next year’s activities!

J4 Science Day: Highclare CSI On Wednesday 4 June, J4 Highclare Preparatory School pupils enjoyed an exciting day of science experiments at Highclare Senior School science department.

The day began with pupils learning how to separate the mixtures of ink found in felt tip pens using chromatography, how to recognise and classify their fingerprints and how to identify different white powders using different tests.

Armed with their new science skills and following a delicious lunch, pupils were then ready to solve the Mystery of the Biscuit Burglar!

J5 Science Day: Escape from Highclare Senior School Highclare Senior School welcomed J5 pupils from Highclare Preparatory School to the science department to delve into senior school life and further ignite the pupils' interest in science.

In small groups pupils moved between science labs to take part in exciting investigations whilst learning essential skills used in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Pupils could be heard saying how they couldn’t wait to study physics at Highclare Senior School and how they thought chemistry would be their favourite subject!

Pupils had a fantastic time using microscopes to classify slides in biology, identifying substances on the pH scale and learning how to neutralise a substance in chemistry. They also calculated the density of three irregular shaped objects in physics in order to establish what material they were made from. During the practicals pupils listened carefully,

J4 proved themselves to be fantastic forensic scientists and they worked hard in their teams to analyse the evidence provided using the skills that they had learnt earlier in the day and carefully question the four very shifty suspects to reveal the criminal who had stolen the fresh supply of bus driver’s biscuits.

Special mentions must go to our bus drivers Phil and Steve, Senior School Head Teacher Mrs Moore and Senior Lab Technician Mrs Taylor for their wonderful contributions as our prime suspects during the investigation in the afternoon. The children all engaged fully with every activity and made wonderful progress with science skills and the use of some tricky scientific terminology. We can’t wait to do it all again!

took part enthusiastically, encouraged each other through the more advanced work and celebrated correct answers.

Following lunch in the senior school refectory all pupils returned to the chemistry lab for the final challenge!

A pre-recorded video announced to the pupils that they were now locked in the chemistry lab and all of the equipment needed to crack the code could be found on each table. Eager to crack the first part of the riddle using their biology skills, pupils quickly got into their teams and found the initial biology task.

After identifying a correct slide using microscopes, retrieving a brass key by identifying lemon juice and neutralising it with an alkali and finally working out the density of that key, pupils could crack the final code breaker challenge (the number of letters in the name of the material the key was made of followed by its density) and escape from the Abbey.

Thank you so much to the science department for organising such a wonderful active learning day.

The pupils happily acquired new skills under your careful supervision and returned to school full of enthusiasm for both science and senior school.

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STEM

Gifted Highclare Mathematicians Achieve Fantastic Results in National Mathematical Challenge Congratulations to the gifted mathematicians at Highclare Senior School who entered the Intermediate Maths Challenge 2019. A nationally recognised competition, the Mathematical Challenges aim to stimulate mathematical problem solving in students in year 11 and below.

Only the top 40% of students receive a certificate. The top 6% receive gold, the next 13% silver and the next 21% bronze.

J6 Pupils Visit Jaguar Land Rover On Thursday the 27th of September J6 pupils visited Jaguar Land Rover to explore what happens behind the scenes. As well as seeing the robots in action putting the car together (very cool!) pupils also enjoyed a Lego challenge and discovered how to program robotic arms and conveyor belts.

“We all really enjoyed the visit. My favourite part was watching the robots because it was interesting to see the robot work and create a car. I would like to thank Jaguar Land Rover for letting us visit and I would love to go back again.” J6 Pupil

J5 Wrekin College Maths Challenge Eight teams of J5 Highclare Preparatory School pupils represented the school in an excellent manner at the Wrekin College Maths Challenge.

Working in pairs, the children had a wonderful time as they raced against the clock to complete a series of maths puzzles. 72 teams competed and Highclare Preparatory placed extremely well. We enjoyed celebrating in assembly.

Gold certificates have been awarded to Hanhong Lin, L5 and Tim Pan, U4 placing them in the top 6% of participants! A silver certificate was awarded to Pranav Ramesh, L5 and a bronze certificate was awarded to Kate Stephens, U5.

Hanhong Lin also qualified to take part in an additional challenge, the annual Kangaroo contest.

Top performers in the Intermediate Maths Challenge join pupils from over 50 countries during this extension to the Intermediate Challenge.We wish both pupils the best of luck.

Congratulations go to all the pupils who were awarded certificates.

Exceptional Mathematical Talent at Highclare Senior School Following on from their success at the UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, we would like to congratulate Hanhong Lin and Tim Pan on their fantastic achievements during the most recent round of the competition.

Having previously achieved a gold award during the Intermediate Maths Challenge, Hanhong Lin (L5) received an invitation to sit an extension paper to the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge. Following a tough mathematical paper Hanhong was placed in the top 25% of year 10 pupils taking part in the global Kangaroo contest and achieved a merit certificate, a fantastic achievement. Hanhong has also been invited to a National Mathematics Summer School following her excellent performance in this year’s Intermediate Mathematical Challenge. Well done Hanhong – an amazing accolade!

Tim Pan (U4) achieved an impressive 50 out of a possible 60 marks on the UKMT invitational follow-on round known as the Cayley Olympiad. Having already achieved a gold award in the Intermediate Maths Challenge held in February Tim completed a tough two hour paper sat by only the top mathematics pupils in the country.

During the challenge pupils had to produce well-reasoned, logical arguments showing the correct solution for each question. In response to one of Tim’s answers the marker commented, 'This is probably the best explained solution I’ve seen.' By scoring 50 marks Tim has placed himself in the top 100 year 9 students nationally. He will receive a medal and certificate of distinction. Well done Tim, another amazing achievement!

CREST Discovery Award Day J4 Wrekin College Maths Challenge On Friday 27th April, eight pupils from J4 Woodfield and St Paul’s took part in the Wrekin College Maths Challenge.

The children worked in pairs, using all their mathematical skills to solve a variety of maths tasks against the clock.

All children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and performed extremely well in the challenge. Highclare St Paul’s pupils, Dylan Engers and Avani Rooprai came joint 1st out of over 50 teams. Well done everyone!

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During the summer term U3 pupils took part in a CREST Discovery Award day in house teams. Their challenge was to design a hand wash station for a small village school in Kenya to try and stop the spread of infectious disease. Alongside the challenge of producing a model of their idea from recycled rubbish, they also had to design and present education materials aimed at 8-11 year olds to help educate the children on why they should be washing their hands.

All pupils worked extremely hard in their teams throughout the day and we were hugely impressed by their final designs and presentations.

J4 to J6 Environmental Workshops The school year had only just started and Highclare pupils were already enjoying enrichment workshops.

Pupils from J4 to J6 across Highclare Preparatory School enjoyed a series of environmental workshops during their first week of term. Tony and Amy from Veolia talked to the children about how waste is sorted and prepared for recycling as well as their waste to energy plant.

The children were particularly interested to learn about the precious metals inside their computers and how they can be recovered when the product is recycled. It was a very interesting start to the term.

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Sixth Form Sixth Form Enrichment Fortnight Sixth Form Enrichment Fortnight for L6 and U6 students took place at the end of January and once again proved to be a resounding success.

Sixth Former Wins ISA Athlete of the Month Following the recent launch of the ISA Athlete of the Month initiative, we knew it wouldn’t be long until an athlete from Highclare School would win.

The nominations for February 2019 ISA Athlete of the Month were of an extremely high standard but huge congratulations go to Daniel Hurst in U6 who ran to victory. He is a fantastic athlete and rôle model who is well deserving of the ISA Athlete of the Month award.

Daniel first started running cross country at Bedstone College in year 4 during his time at Highclare Preparatory School and has finished in the top 10 in his age category every time he has competed, qualifying for nationals for a decade.

A fantastic array of topics were covered over the two week period including an introduction to Higher Education by BCU, guidance on the UCAS applications process, seminars on degree apprenticeships and gap year options.

This year he was congratulated by the announcer for his good sportsmanship: after finishing 3rd in the race the first thing Daniel did was to go and congratulate the first 2 runners. Congratulations Daniel.

Practical sessions on mindfulness, first aid, maintenance skills and team work were hugely popular with students and delivered tips and techniques that will certainly be utilised in the future.

It was a busy fortnight for all students with a plethora of opportunities developing communication, life and leadership skills as well as thought provoking talks focusing on topical subjects.

Ace Your Exams with Elevate Education Highclare Senior School warmly welcomed Elevate Education back into school during the spring term to deliver a stimulating seminar on Acing Exams.

‘Ace Your Exams’ addresses tangible exam based skills that students can use to direct all of the hard work that they’ve put in throughout the year into results during exam time.

During the seminar pupils touched on three main topics: Building on past performance: How to break down past mock exams and work out areas of weakness.

Exam preparation: Pupils leave the seminar knowing what type of work they need to do and when they need to do it across their revision period.

Exam room technique: Techniques for managing stress, how to create succinct answers to questions and advice on the allocation of time to questions based on marks indicated.

Pupils were engaged with the speaker Alex whose confidence and enthusiasm captured pupils’ attention and we look forward to seeing some of the techniques learnt in action.

Sixth Form Celebration Highclare staff enjoyed a marvellous evening with U6 students and their families at the Sixth Form leavers' celebration in the Highcare Sixth Form gardens.

It was a wonderful opportunity to reminisce over the many memories made during their time at Highclare. We wish you every luck with your forthcoming examinations.

Sixth Form Social: London Highclare School Sixth Form had a great day out in London on Wednesday 5th December. A visit to Madam Tussaud’s was followed by a 3 course lunch at Maxwell’s Covent Garden, before watching Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre on The Strand. After some shopping around Covent Garden they returned to Birmingham after a thoroughly enjoyable day in London.

U6 EPQ Success The EPQ qualification is a great opportunity for students to demonstrate their passion for a particular topic and an ability to work independently over a lengthy period of time. It is therefore a valuable resource for personal statements and interviews and, in its development of mature study skills, it provides an excellent preparation for study at undergraduate level.

The process of designing their personal extended project began in the autumn term of the L6 year, with students creating a research proposal based on a topic of personal interest. Once the research proposal is approved students are expected to independently devote 90 hours to its production, undertaking extensive research, completing a report of up to 5000 words and delivering a presentation of their findings to staff and students.

This year’s U6 presentations were wonderfully diverse and included an artefact project based on the experience of writing and recording of a feminist protest song and a history/politics project entitled: Was the American withdrawal of troops from Vietnam caused by the US media’s uncensored reporting and its shaping of public opinion?

Staff and students have been very impressed with the quality of work presented. We wish the best of luck to our U6 students who will need to wait until results day to find out their final marks.

As the U6 complete their EPQ journey, the L6 are progressing well with their projects and busy researching their chosen topics. We look forward to seeing the fruition of more interesting and unique projects that cover varied topics including: the impact of puberty on the performance of female swimmers; the effectiveness of using ketogenic and Atkins diets to control epileptic seizures; the legacy of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; the impact of Industry 4.0 on the manufacturing workforce and an artefact project on refugees.

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Humanities Reception Learn About the Colourful Celebrations of Diwali In Reception, pupils have had a creative and colourful time celebrating Diwali – a Hindu festival which took place in early November. The word Diwali means ‘rows of lighted lamps’. Diwali is known as the ‘festival of lights’ because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps.

Children drew their own Rangoli patterns, typically drawn on the floor, and lit a tea light to not only guide Lakshmi the Goddess of Wealth to our school but also to represent the lights guiding Rama and Sita home, in the legend of Diwali.

The children also enjoyed making and decorating their own Diva lamps out of Model Magic. Pupils loved learning about Diwali.

J4 Pre-Prep Puppet Show with a Twist Pre-prep were treated to a fantastic puppet show with a twist when J4 pupils paid a visit to their classroom.

Following a quick set up and introduction, our younger pupils thoroughly enjoyed watching as J4 performed the stories of La Bella Durmiente (Sleeping Beauty) and El Hombre de Jengibre (The Gingerbread man). It was an amazing interactive modern foreign language lesson!

It was clear to see how much thought and practice J4 had applied to the activity and it was very much appreciated by our pre-prep audience. It is always wonderful to see pupils of all ages at Highclare engaging and learning with each other and the wider school community.

An Audience with Queen Elizabeth I L4 visited Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire during the spring term for a private audience with Queen Elizabeth I. Throughout the day pupils gained a fantastic insight into this historical figure and location, truly bringing the classroom to life.

A Level Geography Residential, Cranedale

During their meeting, Queen Elizabeth I, was able to tell pupils all about her life and times and answered lots of questions about the events of her reign and how she survived all the threats and challenges that she faced during her lifetime.

After a thorough exploration of all corners of the castle, pupils were then invited into the great hall to learn about the history of Tutbury Castle, Jude and Harnekh were even able to handle real swords from hundreds of years ago.

L4 returned to school having had a thoroughly enjoyable visit, solidifying their knowledge of this important historical topic.

Independent study skills are invaluable for students as they progress through school on to university or other routes of further education.

The independent study element of geography A level is one of the many reasons why geography remains so highly valued as a subject at A level and beyond. Throughout the A level geography course vital skills can be taught to aid independent study and this was the prime focus of our recent A level residential visit to the North Yorkshire coast.

Students practised a wide range of skills including sampling techniques, emotional mapping of place using geo-located data, coding of word pictures and analysis of sediment size on the beach.

Students were then encouraged to consider how these skills can be transferred to their own individual research projects which compromises 20% of the final A level marks.

The results of the fieldwork trip then speak for themselves – confident skilled geographers with a passion to research their own area of interest and achieve the best results they can.

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U3 Joint Religious Studies and Geography Fieldtrip to Lichfield On Wednesday Thursday 19 June the geography and religious studies department at Highclare Senior School 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.

As part of the religious studies curriculum of Christianity, pupils visited Lichfield Cathedral and had a guided tour explaining about the fascinating history of the Cathedral and how the Cathedral is used today. The students also had some experiential experiences as part of the tour with the opportunity to light a candle, have their feet washed including a discussion on why for Jesus in the Last Supper this was so important and learn about why asking for forgiveness is so important to Christians.

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

L4 Geography Fieldtrip to the Wolseley Centre, Staffordshire On Friday 14 June, Highclare Senior School geography department organised a very successful trip to the Wolseley Centre in Staffordshire.

Lead by the excellent staff at the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust the students first spent time recapping about river processes of erosion, deposition and transportation and the key features of a river from our helpful guides. In groups, students undertook various river studies in the nearby brook, a tributary of the River Trent, which unfortunately was out of bounds on this day for us as it had burst its banks into the nearby floodplain, due to all of the recent rain!

The students carried out a variety of tests including velocity testing, depth and width of the river channel, checking the size and profile of the bedload and checking how polluted the tributary was by examining the invertebrates in the stream. All-in-all an excellent day.

U5 and L5 Religious Studies Classes Discuss Creation with Dr Peter Vardy On Tuesday 26 March the GCSE Religious Studies classes of U5 and L5 attended a fascinating conference at Queen Mary’s High School, Walsall hosted by Candle Conferences on the subject of creation.

The day was led by Dr Peter Vardy, a former Vice Principal of Heythrop College, University of London and best-selling author of some 15 books on matters relating to Religious Studies and Philosophy and Ethics.

Throughout the morning pupils listened to a series of lectures, considering the evidence for God as a creator, what religious people believe about the sanctity of human life and how these translate into action. Topics then moved on to considering how human beings should relate to animals, plants and the environment, looking at the views of deep ecologists compared to shallow ecologists.

After a quick lunch break pupils continued with lectures, covering how should human beings make babies and what the place of science is in this, particularly with regard to the role of IVF and IVM. It was debated throughout whether or not religions should change to accommodate contemporary western values. The session finished with a very lively and interesting debate: “This house considers that there is a moral responsibility to breed future children to maximise their happiness and to eliminate genetic defects.”

One of our students, Mariyah, was confident enough to put forward her arguments to the rest of the audience. Our students were impeccably behaved and a credit to our school and this day helped them to develop a deeper understanding of some of these key issues to assist with their final examination in GCSE Religious Studies.

Flamenco Day To support the pupils enthusiasm for Languages, Highclare Preparatory pupils enjoyed a fantastic day with Flamenco experts, Ana and Rin. During the session all communication took place in Spanish and the pupils learnt about clapping and stamping to a rhythm, by the end of their workshop they had learnt a dance sequence to be proud of. It was a fun opportunity to learn about language and culture outside of the classroom, many children went home and performed what they had learnt for their parents and the staff enjoyed joining in too!

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Senior School Prize Giving On Friday the 16 November we welcomed past and present pupils, parents and staff to an evening of celebration at Senior School Prize Giving! A fantastic evening celebrating the success of Highclare Senior School pupils during our annual Senior School Prize Giving event.

Senior School Prize Giving is always a wonderful event on the school calendar, an opportunity to reflect on the previous school year and a chance to celebrate and recognise students for their outstanding achievements.

The evening began with a touching ‘Year in Pictures’, a visual review of the 2017/2018 academic year and a welcome and Introduction from Mrs L Flowith, our Chair of Governors, who was once again truly impressed with all that our pupils have achieved.

Dr Luker presented his report of the academic year to pupils and parents, including inspirational quotes from Einsten, reference to Take Charge and how we instil the initiative throughout the school and the Highclare holistic approach to education to help the young learners develop not only their academic intelligence, but their emotional and spiritual intelligence too. It is always wonderful to look back at the year and reflect on all of the brilliant events that have happened at school.

The report was interjected with music and speeches including an excellent account of the 2017 Iceland trip by pupils Jessica Bonner and Jack Newman and superb performances by Joshua Cahm, a music scholar, who performed cool (by SJ Wood) and Harry Mills who performed Violin Concerto No.5, Op 22, both recitals thrilled the congregation.

Special thanks goes to our guest speaker Mr Alex Caan who captivated and enthused pupils, parents and staff with an inspirational presentation. Alex’s reputation is founded on working with a diverse range of sports, and his achievements include working with Olympic & Commonwealth medallists. In addition to his sporting achievements, at the age of 29 Alex won a place at the world famous Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and as an actor, he has worked extensively in theatre and television. During Senior School Prize Giving Mr Caan spoke positively about his relentless pursuit of excellence including how he has coached athletes on the run up to the Olympics. A powerful presentation on his five p’s for success concluded an incredibly motivating and thought provoking speech.

Following the important presentation of prizes the evening ended with a rousing performance by the Senior Choir and Rhapsody Chamber Choir of This Is Me, from The Greatest Showman, a fantastic night was had and congratulations to all involved.

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Preparatory School Prize Giving On the 27 June 2019 Highclare Preparatory School invited family and friends to enjoy an evening of celebration at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, an opportunity to enjoy fantastic entertainment provided by pupils and recognise superb achievements from throughout the academic year.

The first Junior Prize Giving as a Preparatory School was, as expected, an outstanding success, with impressive performances by the school Orchestra, LAMDA and classes alike. The evening opened with a rousing performance of Rule Britannia by the Preparatory School Orchestra, followed by a warm welcome from Dr Luker.

Following Dr Lukers' welcome, noting the importance of the change of school name to Highclare Preparatory School, the evening continued with an address from Mrs Bennett, a brief but impressive rĂŠsumĂŠ of the 2018/2019 academic year recounted by pupils and a motivational address by the guest of honour, Mr Adshead, chairman of the Independent Schools Association and proprietor of The Old Vicarage School, Derbyshire.

Mrs Bennett inspired pupils to reflect on how they grow and flourish every day at Highclare Preparatory School. To quote Mrs Bennett's vegetable patch analogy, Highclare Preparatory School offers an 'organic' style education, where every child is nurtured and provided with the right conditions to ensure pupils grow to their full and true potential. The importance of care, nutrition, safety, to 'feel cared for and to belong', 'to be valued by others and ourselves' and to 'take charge of learning' are all part of the foundation stones put in place at Highclare Preparatory School. By caring, by valuing all that the children do, by making them feel that they belong, by allowing them to take charge of their development, Highclare Preparatory School enables pupils to be the best they can be, something clear to see during this evening of celebration.

Before the presentation of prizes Guest of Honour, Mr Adshead, inspired pupils through his captivating and motivational speech, highlighting the importance of The Old Vicarage's motto Character and Kindness.

It was wonderful to hear about the importance of a hobby and how a university friendship based on kindness enabled all pupils receiving prizes on the night to 'nearly' shake the hand of Superman!

Energetic LAMDA and musical performances of an incredibly high standard interjected the evening and received rapturous applause from proud parents, an emotional performance of When You Believe by the Preparatory School Choir being a highlight of the night. The evening concluded with the announcement of the 2019/2020 Head Boys, Head Girls and their deputies, roles of great importance. We wish them all luck as they take on these new roles.

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Pre-Preparatory School News Rectory Park Visit

Pre-Prep Maths

At the beginning of October, Swans W visited Rectory Park on the school minibus. Wearing Highclare visibility jackets, school tracksuits and their colourful wellington boots, the pupils were encouraged to follow a route planner, noting objects found on a checklist. The photographs were taken during the summer months so we spoke about seasonal changes too.

When teaching Mathematics, our aim in Early Years Foundation Setting (EYFS) at Highclare Pre-Preparatory School is to lay secure foundations. We want our children to be confident mathematicians who can transfer their knowledge and skills to their everyday lives. During a recent pre-prep maths workshop it was explained to parents how the teaching of maths at Highclare Pre-Prep is integrated throughout the day and how children quickly become engaged and interested in solving mathematical problems during planned activities.

Remembrance plaques and flower beds, unusual tree formations and informative safety signs were all noted and discussed along the way. Safety was paramount and all pupils looked after one another stating, ‘Be careful’ down the line as we ventured into the dimly lit woods. When we observed a wandering dog we called, ‘Dog!’We then stood still, folded our arms across our chest, and quietly waited until the dog had passed by. The dog walkers were very friendly and praised us for being aware and sensible.

The route led us along dirt tracks where the light was obscured by the foliage, around a pond with safety signs and eventually through the woods where we found the playground. We took turns to play on the apparatus before returning to school in time for lunch.

During our maths workshop parents took part in various activities, including a simple rôle-play to illustrate how morning and afternoon registration can incorporate maths through counting and addition and the sharing of a video of the children, to demonstrate how pre-prep pupils are encouraged to use their problem solving skills during snack time.

Thank you so much to the parents who attended and we very much look forward to our next workshop.

With Spring in the air Highclare pre-preparatory pupils put maths into action as they enjoyed taking their Monday morning maths outside. Pupils had fun investigating shapes and measuring, using our fantastic woodland scales.

British Values at Highclare Preparatory School Highclare Preparatory School have taken time this term to think about British Values.Highclare Pre-Preparatory Swans class at Highclare Pre-Preparatory School: St Paul’s decided to focus on Good Manners as part of the British Values theme. A wonderful story was shared with the children about a little girl who kept forgetting her manners and so had to carry them around in a bag. The children then made their own Pocketful of Manners with words to remind them tucked away inside.

“We are sure the children enjoyed sharing them at home. They have relished making their special pockets and they are getting really good at remembering to use the words inside.” Mrs J Harris, EYFS Co-ordinator

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A Roaring Campfire Success Highclare PrePreparatory School pupils were blessed with dry weather and enjoyed toasting marshmallows and crumpets around a campfire during Father’s Day celebrations. Swans sang Happy Father’s Day To You and listened to the birds whilst Mr Bole played the flute.

It was a lovely afternoon and all pupils followed the rules of safety beautifully. The afternoon was a ‘roaring campfire’ success.

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Pre-Prep Graduation Celebration

Pre-Prep Visit Ash End Farm

Swans at Highclare Preparatory School enjoyed celebrating their graduation from pre-prep with their families and, to quote one of their Graduation songs: With the sun on my face, this is the time I’ve been waiting for. Jump out of bed, this is the time, to shine… It certainly was. To a packed audience the pupils sang and performed a variety of songs and dances. Pupils shared their ambitions: fire fighters, policemen, vets and even dinosaurs and mermaids! With a little imagination we can all be what we want to be.

Wearing caps and gowns, individuals had a photo opportunity as they received their scroll from Dr Luker, our guest of honour. All teachers were proud of their pupils' achievements this academic year and wished them a smooth journey into their reception year.

Children from Highclare Pre-Preparatory School: Swans enjoyed the dry weather during a visit to Ash End House Farm. Pupils had fun in the outdoor area before caring for the goats after listening to Farmer Martha, our guide. In the barn they held the delicate chicks and received a fresh egg to take home for their breakfast.

Before leaving, the pupils played and bounced on a huge pillow with their friends.This was a great way to end our day before the restful journey back to school.

Pre-Prep Fairies and Elves Day Highclare Pre-Preparatory School Farmyard Races Children in the Swans classroom at Highclare Pre-Preparatory School: St Paul’s enjoyed a fantastic Sports Day. To complement the classroom topic of The Farmyard children took part in a variety of themed races including the farmyard obstacle race, Farmer Duck and Feed the Hungry Pigs race. The sun shone, a fun time was had by everyone and the event was a huge success.

Highclare Pre- Preparatory School held a magical ‘Fairies and Elves’ day during the summer term. Children and staff dressed up and made fairies, wands, painted wishing stones and enjoyed a fairy walk in our enchanted woodland area. Children had their snacks in a fairy garden, listened to relaxing fairy music and elves and fairies sprinkled fairy and elf dust. It was wonderful to have so many parents join in the fun during the afternoon activities.

We would like to thank parents for the wonderful fairy houses that they helped their children make and are now proudly positioned in the woodland area.

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Preparatory School News Reception Monkey Around Linking to the summer term topic named The Animal Kingdom, Reception pupils enjoyed a fantastic trip to Twycross Zoo. Pupils had a lovely day learning about lots of different animals, including what they eat and how they live, and took part in a workshop where they learnt about which groups the animals belong to. A fun day was had by all.

The Value of Money Reception W visited Costa Coffee, Wylde Green this term to put their classroom learning on money into action. Children ordered drinks, checked their change and demonstrated their lovely table manners. Quote of the afternoon: “Mrs Bennett loves Costa.” The children know their teachers so well!

Father’s Day Afternoon Tea To celebrate the amazing men in their lives, the children in Reception invited their daddies to an activity afternoon, complete with afternoon tea. The children chose what activities they wanted to play and then helped serve afternoon tea. The afternoon finished with a song telling the daddies how much Reception love them.

Mother’s Day Celebrations As well as preparing and performing a wonderful Mother’s day assembly, Reception pupils rolled up their sleeves and used their maths and art skills to bake wonderful cupcakes for their mums, a wonderful way to celebrate the female rôle models in our lives.

J1 Explore Under the Sea Highclare Preparatory School J1 pupils enjoyed an exciting day out at the Sea Life Centre. During science lessons, J1 have been learning about rock pools and sea creatures and the children were fascinated to discover a rock pool full of starfish which they could stroke. Pupils were also lucky enough to go ‘behind the scenes’ and learnt how some of the creatures are fed and looked after. The underwater tunnel proved very popular and the children were very excited to spot sharks and a huge turtle swimming above their heads.

A thoroughly enjoyable day!

J2 Impress at Pizza Express Pupils from J2 at Highclare Preparatory School enjoyed a visit to Pizza Express where they made their own pizzas as part of their Food Technology Topic this term.

Pupils rolled out the dough balls, pressed them into the tin, spread the tomato sauce and sprinkled the cheese on top. After a fantastic afternoon J2 took them home for tea. Yum! Following the visit, Pizza Express tweeted that they hoped to have inspired some future MasterChefs – we’ll have to watch this space!

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Reception Class Fly High at RAF Cosford

Infant Recital Our Infant pupils entertained an audience of friends and family at an inspiring Arts Recital Evening. We saw many wonderful solo performances on a variety of instruments such as piano, violin, guitar, drums and singing. A selection of our LAMDA pupils recited some poetry and brought humour to our evening. Reception performed a fantastic piece on their claves demonstrating their excellent rhythmic skills. Year 1 sang beautifully and performed the popcorn song on handbells and boomwhackers. Year 2 gave a vibrant performance of I Just Can't Wait to be King from The Lion King and they performed a 12 bar blues piece on the glockenspiels. Infant choir sang confidently and made a beautiful sound. The whole concert was wonderful from start to finish and it was a lovely way to show what the children learn in their music lessons with Miss Broder as well as to give a platform for our fantastic musicians.

As part of the Reception class learning topic on transport, Highclare Preparatory School Reception pupils enjoyed an inspiring visit to Cosford Air Museum.

On arrival pupils had great fun pretending to be air stewards and air stewardesses and then taking on the rôle of holidaymakers going to America, having to show passports and go through security.

After that, pupils enjoyed the opportunity to look at lots of different aeroplanes and tanks. Even Robbie, Highclare Preparatory School: St Paul’s class bear, sat on plane wings and tanks.

In the afternoon children played games about how planes fly and even sat in a fighter jet. A great time was had by all and class teachers were incredibly proud of the children’s behaviour during this visit.

J2 Recreate Pudding Lane and The Great Fire of London The Freshwater Theatre Company visited Highclare Preparatory School to inspire J2 children as they began their topic, The Great Fire of London.

Using rôle play and props, pupils re-enacted the Great Fire, recreating life in Pudding Lane to experience London in 1666. During art lessons J2 built houses out of boxes and made their own Pudding Lane, which is where the fire started. The children then had great fun setting it up on the playground, kindly helped by our caretaker, and recreating the Great Fire of London by setting the boxes on fire.

A Snowy End to J1’s Polar Adventures In the first half of the spring term, J1 have enjoyed learning all about Polar exploration during their science topic Polar Adventures.

Throughout the term children have studied how explorers and animals survive the extreme weather conditions found in these regions, including an exciting ice investigation activity. Pupils were put into teams and set the challenge of rescuing a Lego figure trapped inside a block of ice. Various strategies were attempted, such as trying to melt the ice by warming it up or trying to chip away at the ice. Eventually all teams successfully managed to rescue their Lego figure and a crisis was averted!

To bring the topic to a snowy end, J1 took a trip to the Snowdome to see if they had what it takes to keep warm during the freezing conditions that the explorers would face. A brrrrrr….illiant day was had by all.

Chinese New Year Celebrations Chinese New Year was celebrated throughout Preparatory School this term. As well as delicious feature lunches provided by Wilson Vale, pupils enjoyed learning about Chinese New Year through art, music and drama. The dragon which Reception pupils made was very impressive!

Eggsellent Visitors hatch at Highclare Prep J1 were very excited to look after 10 chicks from the Happy Chick Company. The eggs were delivered to the classrooms in an incubator and pupils were fascinated to watch each one hatch. Within a couple of days, they were moved to the brooder box and the children learnt how to care for them, including cleaning out their boxes, feeding them and providing them with water.

Lots of cuddles were enjoyed by all and we were very sad to see them leave and return to the farm.

Tri-Golf a Triumphant Success J2 Highclare Preparatory pupils welcomed guests from Dixie Grammar School to participate in a wonderful afternoon of golf at the Highclare Sports Fields.

including nets, parachutes and cones!

Congratulations to Highclare Navy on being the winning team on the day and all teams for taking part with such enthusiasm.

With perfect weather for a sporting event and motivational J6 helpers on hand the J2 TriGolf Tournament was a brilliant success.

Position 1st 2nd 3rd

The afternoon consisted of a number of skill stations testing technique and teamwork

Thank you to Dixie Grammar School for another outstanding year of golf.

Team Highclare Navy Highclare Green, Highclare Red Dixie 2

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J4 in the Footsteps of a Roman Soldier As part of their topic on the Roman era, J4 pupils visited the Lunt Roman Site near Coventry to learn about what life was like for Roman soldiers living in Britain.

Pupils first listened to a talk about the ways Romans and Celts fought their battles. They then entered the fort through the large gates and climbed up the ramparts to get a good view of everything. One of the most prominent features at Lunt is the huge circular wooden gyrus, which was an area for training cavalry horses. It is the only one in the world to be found inside a fort.

Throughout the day children immersed themselves in a Roman soldiers life, learning the different techniques used when the Celts and Romans fought battles, the names and function of the clothes Roman soldiers wore and how to fight like real Roman soldiers.

After lunch J4 were led into battle by a uniformed commander. The pupils used swords and shields to practise authentic Roman military manoeuvres.

During the battle teachers were painted in Celtic war paint and "attacked" the children with (foam) spears but the teachers were outnumbered and victory belonged to the J4 children!

A fantastic active learning session.

J5 and J6 Andrew Mitchell MP visits Highclare Junior School Andrew Mitchell MP visited Highclare Preparatory School to speak to J5 and J6 pupils about his role as their Member of Parliament and to take part in a quick-fire question and answer session.

Following a tour of the school, he spent time with the pupils, speaking about his work as the Royal Town’s Member of Parliament and explaining how he represents all of his constituents at Westminster – including children.

He talked about the history of Sutton Coldfield, how the method of communication from its constituents has changed over the years and the international topic of educating children, particularly girls. His young Highclare constituents asked a range of interesting questions, from local topics affecting the Royal Town, to international issues such as the conflict in Yemen. Local topics included tackling crime, the future of Sutton Coldfield Police Station and the Royal Sutton Coldfield town council. Andrew Mitchell MP also answered questions about his route into politics and his thoughts on other topical political issues.

All questions were thoughtfully and eloquently asked and pupils were engaged and interested in the responses. Pupils showed a great aptitude for understanding political issues and the world around them, and showed a maturity and confidence when conversing with an experienced politician.

The question of the day came from a J6 pupil asking the philosophical question, 'What is it like to be you?'

Andrew Mitchell MP said, “It was a great pleasure to visit Highclare School and meet the very engaged and intelligent older pupils of Highclare Junior School, St Paul's.”

Preparatory School Sports Day Congratulations to all Highclare Preparatory School pupils who competed at this year’s sports day. Pupils embraced the sporting spirit of the event and cheered on by friends and family it made for some thrilling finish lines. With many sporting highlights throughout the day and countless pupils achieving their personal bests Preparatory School Sports Day was a resounding success.

RSPB trip to Sandwell Valley As part of their science topic, J4 visited the RSPB centre at Sandwell Valley. They enjoyed a day of bird watching, hunting for wildlife in a meadow, going on nature walks and examining pond wildlife during the pond dipping activities. They learnt all about food chains, habitats, conservation and how to care for the environment.

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Woodland Skills 2018 What a wonderful start we had at our Woodland Skills lessons. The J6 children from St Paul’s and Woodfield have looked at how to master the clove hitch and timber hitch. The children used rope and sticks to attempt these knots. It took a lot of patience and resilience but we all managed it in the end.

The children also learnt how to use a sheath knife. Once the children were fully briefed and could hold the sheath knife safely they were then able to whittle. The children enjoyed a mug of hot chocolate over a campfire whilst creating their own campfire songs. They were also able to roast marshmallows over the campfire once they fully understood the respect position around the fire pit area while exploring the fire triangle: fuel, heat, oxygen. All in all it has been an action packed start to Woodland Skills.

Exploring Science at Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum J3 spent an informative day at the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum.

They managed to dodge the seemingly incessant June rain showers and visited the amazing outdoor science garden.

This was undoubtedly the favourite part of the day as they learnt about the various pumps, pullies and pivots that make so many mechanical things move, sometimes with a bang, and sometimes with a splash and a crash!

Inside the Think Tank pupils learnt more about how our bodies grow and develop, how species of animals have evolved over centuries to better fit their changing habitat and the proud history that the City of Birmingham holds with the magnificent steam train. They enjoyed a light show that made them question not only where light comes from but also how we can conserve energy in the future to make sure we have the resources we need.

All in all J3 had a wonderful day and all agreed that they would like to visit again….and again…..and again ….

Highclare Preparatory J5 Pupils Trip to Tamworth Castle

J5 pupils from Highclare Preparatory School enjoyed a trip to Tamworth Castle as part of their history topic.

During the visit pupils took part in two workshops, learning about the fighting techniques of the Anglo-Saxons and how archaeologists dig up evidence from the past.

The children were able to explore the castle from the armoury on the ground floor to the top of the turret. There was even chance for the year group to practice their assembly on the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in the main hall of the castle before leaving.

An enjoyable day was had by all involved.

Bikeability at Highclare Prep Pupils across J6 had a great time during their Bikeability course.

During the course children enjoyed the opportunity to improve their bike and road safety skills during a number of Bikeability sessions. As well as practical skills, such as learning how to cycle on the road and how to signal effectively to traffic, the children also learnt the answers to these questions and more. See if you can have a go yourselves.

Why do you need to check the tyres on your bike?

Can you see parts of the gearing system?

Why is it important to keep the chain oiled?

Why is it good to have lights on a bike?

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Competition News Junior Creative Writing Competition Results

ISA National Swimming Finals 2018/2019 Results

During November Highclare Senior School English department invited all potential young authors to take part in an exciting creative writing competition. This year local junior schools were invited to write a poem to commemorate the end of the First World War. Following a fantastic response to the creative writing competition we invited all the 379 participants to a reception at the Senior School to celebrate their amazing entries. Mrs Dawson, Head of English, was very impressed by the entries and was inspired by the moving and poignant poems that she read.

The overall winner was Sonny Stares from Mere Green Combined School and he received a trophy, book token and certificate.

1st December 2018, Highclare Preparatory and Senior School swimmers put on a superb performance at the ISA National Swimming Finals, demonstrating perfect techniques and setting New ISA records.

Jodie Andrews returned to Highclare Senior School triumphant after achieving both a Gold and Bronze medal at the national competition. Both races had close finishes, particularity the 50m Breaststroke. Jodie achieved a Gold medal in this race with less than a second between first and second place. Congratulations!

Hugh Mason-Williams returned to Highclare Preparatory School on Monday with an impressive array of medals, including a Gold in the 50m Breaststroke. Not only did Hugh achieve a Gold medal in this race, but he finished it in an amazing 32.45 seconds, two seconds before second place and establishing a new ISA record, a fantastic achievement.

This annual event is held at the London Aquatics Centre, home of the 2012 Olympic swimming pool and pupils who qualified at the recent Midlands gala were invited to compete.

Congratulations to all of our Preparatory and Senior Swimmers who competed. You represented the school and yourselves with exemplary behaviour and attitude. We are once again very proud of your achievements.

Short Story Writing Competition Key stage 3 Short Story House Competition This year pupils were once again invited to write a story for the 2019 house competition. U3 had the topic of Alter Egos; L4 had to write a spy story and U4 wrote dystopian stories. The short-listed stories were judged by Mrs Sue Riley who used to be the Head of English at Highclare School. She was very impressed with the standard of the entries. Mariya Hussian, this year’s winner, will receive a trophy at the Senior School Prize Giving evening.

Key stage 4 Short Story House Competition L5 pupils were required to write a story inspired by their studies of the GCSE poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade. The joint winners were Toby Walton and Ketii Abebe who will share the trophy at the Senior School Prize Giving evening.

Highclare Young Musician of the Year 2019 The final of Highclare Young Musician of the Year competition took place on 6 June. With over 80 pieces performed in the first round our 16 finalists had achieved extremely well to get through to the final, making it a very difficult decision for our judges. The evening was outstanding, all the children performed with proficiency and played with great confidence and musicality. The judges, Nick Parrans-Smith, Ian Raybould and Amy Cassells, were impressed by the high standard and variety of performances that took place. Each performer received constructive feedback on their performances which was very valuable to them. 3rd place was awarded to Lara Jeetley, 2nd place was awarded to Cadence Ball and 1st place was awarded to James Marrett. The overall winning house was Lancaster. Well done to everyone who took part. We are already looking forward to next year’s competition.

House Poetry Competition Spring 2019 Winners Students across the Senior School have been busy putting pen to paper following the launch of the Spring 2019 House Poetry Competition.

Instigated by the English department the theme for 2018/2019 was ‘change’ and entries received were all of a superb standard.

After much deliberation, we would like to congratulate Maariya Hussain, for achieving first place with her wonderful poem. Congratulations to all winners and highly commended pupils, it is a great achievement.

House competitions are designed to provide pupils with a sense of belonging within the school community and an opportunity to develop skills outside of

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the classroom. We are very proud of all of the pupils who regularly contribute to our wonderful school community by entering the house competitions with such high standards of work.

House Poetry Competition Spring 2019 Winners 1st: Maariya Hussain, Lancaster 2nd: Eva Robinson, Tudor 3rd: Asim Chaudhry, Tudor

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The LAMDA Examination Results are in and Highclare School Pupils have Achieved Phenomenal Grades

Prep School Pupils Qualify for ISA Cross Country Nationals

This year Highclare school has again seen an increase in children taking exams with a total of 40 Senior School pupils and 77 Preparatory School pupils taking part and achieving fantastic grades. Examinations this year comprised a wide range of performance based disciplines including Group, Solo and Duo Acting, Public Speaking, Mime, Speaking Verse and Prose and Reading for Performance recitals.

The event is a prelude to the National competition at Rugby School where the top ten runners from each region will compete. All competitors ran on both hard and soft terrains, making the course a great learning and strengthening experience for any future athletes.

69 children received a Distinction and 32 received a Merit. with the highest mark of 98/100 going to one of our Preparatory School pupils for Devising Drama Grade 2. Two U5 students completed their Grade 8 Devising Duo examination, receiving Distinctions and thereby gaining 24 university credits each. A special mention goes to one of our L6 pupils who gained a Bronze medal for Public Speaking.

LAMDA has proved an immensely popular extra-curricular activity at Highclare School, allowing pupils to grow in confidence, develop their individuality and have opportunities to perform at various events at school. It is proven to positively impact a pupil’s ability to participate in debates and enhances presentation skills within other subject areas, all of which has resulted in a massive uptake of the LAMDA course in recent years. It is an added bonus that even at Entry level, students can work towards accruing UCAS points, with the maximum credits given for Distinction at Grade 8.

Mrs Bradley said, “I am delighted to be part of Highclare School where such a nurturing approach is taken to a child’s education in terms of offering such a variety of extra-curricular activities. My passion lies in building a child’s confidence and self-worth and LAMDA is a perfect platform to aid in that. Well done to all the children who took part in the January exams and worked so hard.”

ISA Art Competition draws on Highclare Talent Highclare School pupils of all ages have once again achieved success in the prestigious Midlands Regional Arts competition.

The judges received a total of 245 entries from 24 schools and Highclare School artists were recognised in 12 categories, scooping 4 first place, 4 second place and 4 highly commended prizes.

Of particular note was Harjot Kaur’s placing as first in the KS3/4 Photography class. This marks the fourth year running that a student at Highclare School has won this award.

All those awarded a 1st or 2nd place received a certificate and book token and those who achieved a highly commended received a certificate.

Highclare Preparatory School enjoyed outstanding success at The Midlands Independent Schools Association Cross Country Championships at Bedstone College.

With more than 30 schools competing from across the region students competed in age based categories, a fantastic athletic experience including running in woods, fields and through stream crossings.

All of our Preparatory School teams placed top 3 with the J5/6 Boys team taking first position for their age group! Congratulations!

J3/4 Girls - 3rd Place J3/4 Boys - 2nd Place J5/6 Girls - 2nd place J5/6 Boys - Joint 1st As well as fantastic team results we are very proud to announce prep pupils achieved outstanding individual successes, with 6 pupils finishing in a top 10 position and qualifying for the national competition.

Congratulations to the following pupils, a fantastic achievement.

Will Stead, James Marratt, Lily Dudley, William Hoe and Finley Pike.

Senior School ISA Cross Country Success Congratulations to L5 pupil Jack Newman who, after placing 1st in his age group at the ISA Midlands Cross Country Championships, represented Highclare at the National Championships and finished 4th with a time of 12:20.20! An outstanding achievement!

Highclare Senior School Bake Off 2019 The Annual Highclare Senior School Bake Off house competition final took place on Tuesday 18 June when students prepared fantastic pasties of different savoury fillings in just one and a half hours.

Six very eager competitors, two from each house, took part and produced some delicious pasties. The smell as you approached the Food Technology room was amazing! The competition was judged by Dr. Luker and Mrs. Moore who enjoyed tasting all the pasties to aid their decision making.

Once again the standard of bakes proved to be high and it was a very close call.

The final results are: House points 1st Tudor 2nd York 3rd Lancaster Individually 1st place Nellie Gwaza 2nd place Ketii Abebe 3rd place Rhaina Madzinga Euan Edwards, Isobel Budden and Jude Hughes were all highly commended.

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Charities & Fund Raising The Highclare School Council from Preparatory and Senior School decided to choose Young Minds to be our school charity for the year 2018-19.

Young Minds is a charity that envisages a future where all young minds are supported and empowered, whatever the challenges, making sure children get the best possible mental health support and have the resilience to overcome life’s difficulties.

The crisis in children and young people’s mental health is real and it is urgent. More children and young people than ever before are reaching out for help with their mental health. But for those who take that brave step, help can be much too hard to find.

During the academic year pupils across Highclare School have taken part in numerous events raising over £11,000 for Young Minds, we look forward to presenting them with a cheque in the autumn 2019 term. We’ve included a few highlights below!

J6 Young Enterprise Day 2019

Highclare Choir on Tour

Congratulations to Highclare Preparatory School J6 pupils who have worked extraordinarily hard organising their Young Enterprise event. The children have enjoyed putting together PowerPoint presentations to pitch their business proposal for their set up costs and meticulously calculated their profits by carefully purchasing their items for the stalls to sell. The children worked extremely hard during the event and also in the run up to it taking pre-orders and promoting their stalls and the school charity.

Highclare Preparatory School choir kicked of the festive season with charity carol singing at Porsche Centre, Sutton Coldfield. During a Porsche 70th anniversary event, pupils from sang beautifully and entranced friends, family and guests during their first performance of the festive season. The Highclare choirs continued spreading good cheer as they travelled to Lichfield, Gracechurch and John Lewis, Grand Central whilst raising money for our charity of the year, Young Minds.

The Enterprise Days raised money for our chosen charity Young Minds and were held on the 20 and 21 June.

The total amount raised from the two days was a fantastic £1967.99.

Thank you to all the took part during the events and congratulations J6, your new business skills and hard work paid off, we are very proud of you all!

Sleepover in Aid of Young Minds Comic Relief Pupils from Pre-Prep to U6 dressed in red on Friday 15 March and enjoyed taking part in table top sales taking place for all ages.

Thank you to all who took part and donated.

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During another fantastic summer term charity event Highclare Preparatory School raised an incredible £1,100 in aid of Young Minds through a charity sleepover event at school. As well as raising a huge amount of money for charity the children had a brilliant time.

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Junior School Art Competition 2019 Highclare Senior School enjoyed hosting another fantastic Junior School Art Competition which saw over 400 pupils enter this now highly anticipated community competition.

This year’s theme ‘under the magnifying glass‘ grew out of a project studied by Highclare L4 students on natural forms.

During the project students looked at the work of artist Georgia O’Keefe, who made ordinary flowers extraordinary by zooming in on the detail in her paintings. This new viewpoint on the world around her made her one of the most celebrated female artists of her time.

“Through this competition I hoped the young artists would stop and take notice of things around them, and show the interesting detail and beauty in ordinary things.

On viewing the entries, and I hope you agree, I have been amazed by the imagination and variety of subjects – we’ve had fabulous fruit, glittery bugs, microchips, eyes, and even the moon. The detail shown under the microscope in pupils artwork shows they have really taken the time to look carefully at and appreciate what they can see around them.” Mrs K Stott.

The gala viewing and presentation evening was a huge success and it was lovely to see so many families celebrating with pupils from across the region.

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Trips At Home And Abroad Whitemoor Lakes Residential J5 pupils have been making wonderful memories with their classmates during their first residential trip to Whitemoor lakes. With many adventures undertaken, climbing walls conquered and even a birthday celebrated, pupils enjoyed an exciting few days full of fun, friendship and fearless activities.

Highlights included the evening campfire, canoeing, abseiling, crate stacking, archery and teamwork activities.

Throughout the trip all pupils showed teamwork, perseverance and resilience, important life skills which will support pupils throughout their education.

PGL 2019 J6 enjoyed a residential trip to Caythorpe Court, Lincolnshire during the summer term. It is an amazing centre comprising of 65 acres of grounds surrounding a huge mansion house comprising of great facilities and brilliant PGL activities.

All the pupils had a wonderful time, trying new activities and making memories. It was a marvellous opportunity to display resilience and ambition in true Highclare style. Some of the pupils' favourite activities included the giant swing, sensory trail, raft building, challenge course, campfire and Cluedo. Particular highlights included the whole of J6 embarking on a massive water fight with balloons and Harry Taylor celebrating his birthday party.

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Sports Tour July 2019 saw Highclare Senior School pupils travel to Barcelona as part of the School Sports Tour 2019. Excited pupils departed Birmingham airport ready to participate in sporting activities and sightseeing. Competing against local teams the pupils faced tough football and hockey matches in incredible heat, the sports tour proved a fantastic opportunity to test not only talent but resilience and tenacity. Fixtures coincided with sightseeing including the Nou Camp experience, the famous Barcelona basilica and the PortAventura theme park. Students behaved impeccably throughout the trip and we look forward to find out where Highclare sports teams will travel to next.

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#Normandy19 landings; some of the weapons and equipment involved in the landings could still be seen in and around the town and this helped to really bring the events to life.

Pupils had the opportunity to view the moving summary of the landings in the 360 degree cinema at Arromanches which showed original footage of the fight to end World War II which took place in and around Normandy’s beaches. This was followed by a visit to the old German gun emplacements on the nearby cliffs. The day ended with a visit to the American cemetery and Omaha beach, scene of some of the worst fighting and greatest casualties on D-Day. Day two was equally busy with a visit to the town of Bayeux on market day which allowed our students to try out their French at some of the shops and market stalls and enjoy some French café culture. Then it was off to see the famous Bayeux Tapestry depicting the events of the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest. After viewing this impressive piece of history, the students were able to tour a caramel factory and see how the famous Normandy caramels are produced, followed of course by some free samples and many purchases in the shop. The day was completed with a visit to the German military cemetery, a sombre place which was a powerful reminder of the terrible loss of life in this part of France in 1944.

U3 and L4 pupils embarked upon an exciting adventure to Normandy to try out their French language skills, enjoy some outdoor activities and experience some of the history of the area.

During their time in France Highclare staff and pupils stayed at the Château du Molay where they began their visit with outdoor team games in the grounds of the château before heading off to the seaside town of Arromanches, home to the D-Day museum. Here the pupils were able to learn about the D-Day

After a hectic few days it was time to head home.The students made some fantastic memories and enjoyed the chance to visit so many interesting places, whilst also finding time for an evening visit to the local bowling alley as well as a disco and crêpes on our final night. The trip was a fantastic experience for all and the students returned home having really enjoyed themselves.

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External Examination Results Summer 2019

Highclare pupils can once again celebrate after receiving superb GCSE and A level examination grades in August 2018, we are delighted to announce excellent results.

Highclare Sixth Form is thrilled to be celebrating yet another year of superb exam success. We are delighted to announce that U6 pupils have attained an impressive four year high in examination results, with a 100% pass rate and 52% of pupils achieving A*-B grades. A fantastic achievement particularly as it has been reported that the UK has seen the proportion of students achieving top grades at A-level dipping to the lowest level for nearly a decade.

Among the Highclare pupils celebrating this morning were our Head Girl, who will be studying Mathematics with Philosophy at Sheffield University, Daniella Palmer who has chosen to study Business and Management at Exeter University, Celyn Dugdale who will be studying Cellular and Medical Medicine at Bristol University and Daniel Hurst, our

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Head Boy who began his education at Highclare Pre-Preparatory School and will now be continuing his educational journey at Nottingham University studying History.

At GCSE we saw an impressive 91% of pupils achieving grades of 9 to 4, 27% achieving grades 9 to 7 and 93% attaining GCSE maths and English, the fantastic GCSE accomplishments are a continuum of our impressive A level achievements.

Dr R Luker, Headmaster comments, “I am absolutely thrilled to see the results attained by this year’s cohort. From Pre-Prep to U6, Highclare School is dedicated to educating the whole person, and for students to achieve such superb examination results whilst taking part in a full co- and extracurricular timetable they have not only fulfilled their academic potential but have enhanced their personal skills, equipping them for their future in their chosen profession. This success is a culmination of a lot of hard work and commitment from all concerned and will stand them in good stead as they embark on the next step of their lives, we wish them all the very best.”

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Highclare Business Network Commerce and director of digital agency Wow Zone, Qasim Majid, to the School.

Led by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive, Paul Faulkner, attendees enjoyed anecdotes on the business journey Qasim has been on to date, the life skills and work ethic he learnt from his father, digital trends and the importance of mobile usage in the commercial world and the importance of resilience in business.

2018 saw the launch of the popular Highclare business Network events. A superb inaugural event: An audience with Paul Faulkner, CEO of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Douglas Wright, CEO of Wright Restaurants and chairman of the board of directors at Ronald McDonald House, Birmingham saw attendees from a variety of industries hear first-hand many fascinating experiences from Paul and Douglas’ career in a honest and insightful question and answer session.

In the relaxed environment both speakers divulged remarkable facts about their career journeys, followed by an opportunity for attendees to ask questions, network and catch up over good food, supplied by the event sponsors Mahirs Experience.

With no stone unturned, questions regarding developments happening within Birmingham, Paul’s career with Randy Lerner leading to his position of CEO at Aston Villa and Douglas’ business journey including winning the McDonald’s world franchisee award in 2016, the significance of business mentors and the importance of giving back to the community, left the audience with plenty of food for thought.

The evening was once again hugely enjoyable and informative with a positive question and answer session discussing entrepreneurial skills, character traits and the importance of softer skills such as adaptability, communication and problem solving in a business environment. The evening concluded with a thought provoking presentation by Young Minds, an insight into their position within community, help available and a discussion on young people’s mental health in today’s society. With thanks to Mahirs Experience, again the event sponsors, who provided delicious food served whilst attendees continued to network and discuss the fascinating topics raised throughout the event.

Thank you to all those who joined us in the successful launch of Highclare Business Network Event, we were delighted to welcome such a great group of people to our School. We see this as just the beginning of creating a highly dynamic and connected community of business and enterprise leaders who wish to discuss current and future topics concerning business and education in Birmingham.

During the evening Mr Chris Williams also addressed attendees on the work of the Buddy Bag Foundation, a charity Highclare School have recently championed. The Network event was free of charge and attendees kindly donated £430 to the Buddy Bag Foundation, which will directly help children who find themselves in emergency care.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to our fantastic speakers, offering differing and honest perspectives and practical thoughts regarding career progression, enterprise and business. Feedback from attendees, including representatives from our Sixth Form revealed the evening was hugely successful and we very much look forward to communicating our future event plans with the business and school community.

During the second Business Network Event Highclare School had the pleasure of welcoming president of the Asian Business Chamber of

Dr R Luker Headmaster of Highclare School

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Highclare School

Duke of Edinburgh Congratulations to all of the pupils who took part in the Bronze and Silver DofE qualifying expedition at Long Mynd. We are incredibly proud to announce that all 33 pupils passed with flying colours. Pupils were required to walk for 6 hours per day for their Bronze qualification and covered 26km with all their own equipment in extremely mixed weather conditions. The Silver qualification required the pupils to be out for 7 hours per day and they managed to cover a magnificent 50km including a camp under ‘wild camping’ conditions. All pupils worked extremely well within their teams in order to overcome all the challenges they faced over the weekend and showed strength, determination and resilience. Thank you to everyone involved in making it such a successful weekend.

Ben Fogle Inspires During Duke of Edinburgh Expedition On Sunday 30th September, National Get Outside Day, a small group of pupils working towards their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award, took to the peaks of Dovedale to perfect their navigational skills in preparation for their upcoming practical expedition.

During the practice expedition pupils and teachers walked a circular 11.5km route via the famous Stepping Stones which allowed them to relate their map to the ground, pointing out distinctive features along the way. During the afternoon the group covered more open countryside where they could get to grips with taking bearings, a more advanced navigation technique. After a tiring day pupils and teachers ended the trek at the National Trust Ilam Park, relaxing in the Manifold Tea-room enjoying views of Thorpe Cloud.

During the day pupils were lucky enough to bump into the team from Ordnance Survey(OS) and GetOutside Champion Ben Fogle who were enjoying one of OS National guided walks and exploring the Peak District. Ben came over to talk with the pupils, taking an interest in what they were doing and sharing some of his own navigation experiences. It was an inspiring moment for the pupils and an opportunity for them to meet a well known broadcaster, traveller and adventurer in the great outdoors!#

Highclare Preparatory School: Woodfield 245 Birmingham Road Sutton Coldfield B72 1EA Tel: 0121 355 0194

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

Highclare Preparatory: St Paul’s 88 Lichfield Road Sutton Coldfield B74 2SY Tel: 0121 355 8205

www.highclareschool.co.uk - enquiries@highclareschool.co.uk

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