The Highclarian 2015

Highclare School

The Highclarian

2014-15

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

I hope you enjoy reading this, the latest edition of The Highclarian (formerly known as The Grapevine). It serves to provide to you a snapshot of a year that has, as you would imagine, been full of purpose and achievement across the three sites of our School.

In summary I can note that the children have continued to rise superbly to the challenge set down by the staff in their quest to engage and educate them. It has become a constant source of pride to me to be able to wander freely in any part of the School and witness the enjoyment, industry and collaboration that is at the centre of all the learning that is taking place.

As ever, it is at this time of the year that we say goodbye to a number of valued colleagues. Some are retiring, some going on to different things, some staying in Education but going to work elsewhere.

Some have been with us for a long time, some for not long at all. All, however, have made their own contribution to Highclare School. We are grateful for that and we wish them well in the future.

Like all schools, Highclare School must continue to move forward, which is why I am particularly excited about all the recent developments that have taken place across our three sites, especially the TAKE CHARGE initiative, which is our own approach to developing, within all the pupils, the independent learning skills which we know to be of so much value in the learning process. In giving the pupils themselves the tools to become more effective learners, I am confident that a significant difference to outcomes will be made. TAKE CHARGE is a result of a school-wide collaboration, involving planning input from pupils as well as the staff, and is well on the way to becoming part of Highclare's culture. Look out for it in September 2015 and beyond.

Staying on the subject of school development, I would like to record my thanks for the PTA. Led by Mr Stuart Griffiths, they are a dedicated and committed group of parents who want to provide the best they can for the School and have fun in doing so. They made a superb £17,000 donation to the School earlier this year; money that has been spent on a range of things, all designed, in some way, to enhance the teaching and learning experience for the children. The money has been spent across all three sites and has been used to provide for a diverse range of needs. I have personally been amazed by the PTAs generosity, and I am looking forward to talking to them about what we can aim to fund in relation to enhancing our resources even further. As we turn our attention to the year 2015 - 2016, I know the PTA are working hard to place interesting and enjoyable events in the diary, so please do not hesitate to get behind them.

At the time of writing this edition of the Highclarian, I have completed my first full year as Headmaster.

Thanks for all your support thus far, I very much look forward to working with you all to make Highclare School the best it can possibly be.

Dr R Luker

A word from Mrs Louise Flowith, Chairman of the Board of Governors So another year has come to an end at Highclare School – and what a year it has been.

It began with the arrival of our new Head, Dr Luker. It then included, amongst other things, a successful whole School ISI inspection, improvements to the facilities and learning opportunities on offer, including the opening of a new Art and DT suite and a second Sports Hall, a refurbishment of the 6th Form Common Room and ongoing investment in ICT, and an exciting and hugely varied programme of activities for our pupils to enjoy, many of which you will be able to read about in this magazine.

Of course, while all of this is taking place, the teaching and learning continues, enabling our pupils to achieve individual excellence at every stage of their school careers and ultimately in the external examinations which they take at ages 11, 16 and 18. Once again, our pupils’ results in these examinations speak for themselves and it is a pleasure to be able to offer the Board’s congratulations to our pupils and our thanks to the staff who guide them and to you, the parents, who do so much to support your children and the School.

The Board has enjoyed enormously working with Dr Luker during his first year with us and it has been inspiring to learn more about his plans and vision for the School. It is clear that the ethos of Highclare, its aims and principles, are in safe hands while the School will continue to adapt and develop, thereby ensuring that the young people in our care receive an education which is absolutely appropriate for the 21st Century.

As the new academic year begins, I would like to offer a warm welcome to all the pupils, parents and staff who have joined us since I last wrote for the magazine. We look forward to the contributions you will make to the life of the School and be assured that each and every one of you is a valued member of our community.

I do hope you have all had a chance to ‘recharge the batteries’ over the summer as I have no doubt that 2015 -2016 will be another action-packed year – so much happening, so many activities for everyone to enjoy, so many exciting developments and so much for our pupils to learn – so we will certainly need all the energy we have!

May I, on behalf of the whole Board, wish you all a hugely successful and happy 2015 - 2016.

Louise Flowith Chair of Governors

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Dr Luker with the Head Prefect of Highclare Seniors, Sophie-Jayne Bridgens

Headmaster Dr R Luker Head of Senior School Mrs A Moore Head of Sixth Form Mrs P Embury Assistant Head of Senior School (Operational) Mrs S Cook Assistant Head of Senior School (Curriculum) Mrs A Healey Head Prefect Highclare Seniors Sophie-Jayne Bridgens Head of Highclare Woodfield to December 2014 Mrs L Jude Acting Head of Highclare Woodfield from January to July 2015 Mrs L Morgan Nursery Manager at Highclare Woodfield Mrs S Pointon Head Boy Highclare Woodfield Samuel Mashil Head Girl Highclare Woodfield Isobel White Head of Highclare St Paul’s Mrs J Booker Deputy Head of Highclare St Paul’s Mr D Read Head Boy of Highclare St Paul's Louie Haigh Head Girl Highclare St Pau’ls Emily Haynes Producer and Editor, Highclarian Mrs J Baden Technical Producer Mrs H Suter

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Highclare Senior School I am delighted to report that the Senior School has continued to go from strength to strength this year which bears testament to the continued enthusiasm and achievement of pupils and to the dedication and commitment of our staff. It was admirable to witness the presentation of a wide range of awards at our annual Speech Night which included the inaugural presentation of ‘The Margaret Viles Trophy for Endeavour’ to mark her retirement after 11 years as Head and ‘The Bernard Day Cup for excellence in football’ in honour of an esteemed Coach who sadly passed away during the summer.

I am pleased to report that pupil voice remains an integral and important element of school life which is evidenced by our wonderful School Council and the excellent Debating Club run so effectively by Mrs Jackson. We were delighted a group of our young people led by Head Prefect, Sophie-Jayne Bridgens, took part in the Erdington Youth initiative which included a visit to the Houses of Parliament accompanied by local MP Jack Dromey. During their visit, pupils were honoured to meet both the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, and various other members of parliament. We are very proud of our young people both for their interest in the democratic system and their caring attitude towards those less fortunate than us, as evidenced by their generosity in supporting this year’s chosen charity, SSAFA, and various others such as The African Space Trust and the Erdington Food Bank.

During the year, pupils at the Senior School attended various events such as the U3 visit to the TCT (3D technologies) and Skills Shows at the NEC; visits to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre by L5 and U5 pupils for a production of ‘Of Mice and Men’; and an U3 visit to see ‘The BFG’. We were also delighted to welcome members of the Birmingham Royal Ballet into school at various times during the year as part of our continued involvement with the Speight of the Art Charity initiative for schools. Added to this, we were very proud of our successes both in the prestigious ISA Art Competition and the Birmingham University ‘Thank-you Letter Awards’.

Many other fabulous events took place during the year – too numerous to mention here – culminating in our excellent House Competition when pupils took part in various activities such as assault courses, a House Quiz and a wonderful presentation by Soldiers in Schools contrasting the different experiences of soldiers in the First and Second World Wars with those of their modern day counterparts.

I would like to extend my thanks to staff, parents and pupils for their contribution to such a successful year at Highclare Senior School.

Mrs A Moore - Head of Senior School

Highclare Sixth Form What an exciting year, started by giving iPads to all 6th formers, which quickly revealed expertise in exploring this new technology. U5 students joined us for a morning in the Sixth Form area, and again, this was a huge success. This opportunity enabled us to talk to pupils about their career aspirations, research skills required for various professions and also to have a chat about life after GCSE’s. October’s spooky Halloween fundraising theme triggered some fun cookery ideas. Fundraising in Sixth Form always helps everyone to work as a team, brush up their business skills and polish their customer service. All, of course, used for their important UCAS personal statements, CV’s and references.

After speech night, a trip to Galleries of Justice in Nottingham, Sixth Form Panto and mock examinations, our next Sixth Form project was the long awaited refurbishment of the Sixth Form common room. The ‘before’ and ‘after’ was an amazing transformation. Local MP Jack Dromey opened our newly decorated, furnished and equipped common room. He engaged with many of the pupils to congratulate them on their impressive knowledge about the forthcoming election and particularly commented on our Head Girl’s involvement in ‘Erdington’s Young Peoples’ Parliament’. In May, we held our own ‘mini-election’ in General Studies and I believe all our students over 18 turned out to a vote in the real election.

Enrichment Fortnight involved all students in the normal variety of activities and talks by guest speakers. Again, one of the highlights was the ‘emergency maintenance’ course run by our on-site facilities department. Developing practical skills was a welcome change from academia and agreed by students important to help survive when leaving the family home.

The program for enrichment also included sessions on Personal Finance, Healthy Body/Healthy Mind as well as our local police liaison officers coming in to advise on the dangers of ‘legal highs’, E:safety and safe driving. This year we also offered our students First Aid training.

Sixth Form students are expected to help host school events, show visitors round, supervise and mentor younger children, and present an assembly, (sometimes with little notice) and as always, our students rose to the challenge and I offer my sincere thanks to all who volunteered their time and energy.

After a successful launch of ‘Extended Project’ (equal to half an A level), 7 Projects were completed in a variety of interesting and challenging topics; all resulting in a program of confident and professionally delivered presentations. Students benefitted in experiencing higher level research skills, and as we approach the re-introduction of the old style 2 year ‘A’ level, much support is given to adapt to the different ways of studying. Two students also took part in ‘outreach programmes’ in Nepal (prior to the earthquake) and two students continued to pursue sporting commitments whilst completing their studies. Again, well done to all!

Highclarel St Paul’s Another amazing year where the school continues to be a thriving and buzzing place, what a fantastic learning journey for everyone at Highclare St Paul’s this year. We always have many things to celebrate in the life of the school and this year the pupils have continued to flourish in the expert hands of our talented teachers. St Paul’s has been alive throughout the year with assemblies, activities and awe inspiring children. Our enabling environment saw pupils achieve and shine in all areas. Their thoughtfulness and care helped us to raise thousands of pounds for our school charity SSAFA. Some of our events and inspiring activities in the last year have included special assemblies, enterprise activities organised by J6 and many others. Some of our pupils met the Lord Mayor when they were invited to a special opening event at The Quinto Lounge in Sutton Coldfield. Other trips across the year groups were both exciting and educational. Highlights included the Christmas theatre trips and the all of the Christmas plays, and the Junior Play “Aladdin Trouble”. The standard of our productions remains high and the pupils are enriched by all the experiences at St Paul’s.

The Autumn Term culminated in the Magic of Christmas day for the whole Junior School from Pre-School 1 to J6P. Everyone dressed up and showed off their Christmas jumpers, including the teachers!

Sport, drama and music continued to go from strength to strength with excellent results in outside competitions and examinations. Sports Days have taken place across the departments at St Paul’s, and for the first time, the sun shone for every single one of them.

We are also thankful for the fantastic support of our parents who work with us on events, committees, extra-curricular clubs, and many more activities in school.

Pupils have had opportunities to use their pupil voice through the prefect and house systems as well as in their school council meetings, where important decisions such as choosing the school charity were made.

Junior pupils showed off their mathematical skills in an external Mathematics challenge where the Highclare pupils shone and came away triumphant across the board.

This year our J6 and J4 pupils were invited to the Senior School to take part in Workshops and Experience Days. They had a wonderful time and were inspired by what was on offer.

Our busy and successful year culminated in the Junior Prizegiving at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, the Year 1 and year 2 Summer Assemblies and the Pre-School Graduation followed by afternoon tea in the garden. What a wonderful way to end our busy and exciting year.

I would like to extend a special thank you to all of my colleagues, pupils and parents at St Paul’s. We couldn’t do it without you.

Mrs J Booker - Head of Highclare St Paul’s

Highclare Woodfield 2014-2015 has been an unforgettable and whirlwind year at Highclare Woodfield. We began the year with our first J6 class, bringing a full compliment of Juniors to Highclare Woodfield. The class will certainly go down in history as the first J6 class to always be the oldest in the school!

The new head of Highclare School, Dr Richard Luker, heralded a new era at the school. Highclare Woodfield’s pupils enjoyed Dr Luker visiting classrooms where he joined in J2’s science lessons and Pre-School’s messy activities.

It was certainly a fun time and great to see so many new changes.

In October, we sadly lost our dear friend Mr Bernard Day- football teacher at the school.

Children at the junior school sang, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ in assembly, to remember him.

Through the tears though, we will always remember his stories and fun. He will certainly never be forgotten at Highclare Woodfield and we marked his memory by planting red poppies in our memorial garden.

At Christmas, parents, teachers and pupils from Pre-School to the Juniors, said their farewell to Mrs Linda Jude, Head of Highclare Woodfield, who retired after 27 years at the school.

Mrs Jude’s legacy will certainly move on at Highclare. She had seen the school go through so many changes throughout the years.

March saw the production of Jack and the Beanstalk by the Junior School- what a performance! Fantastic singing and acting, colourful explosions of dramatic action, full houses each night and enraptured audiences, what more could we ask for?

Highclare Woodfield has been alive throughout the year with debates, productions, musical concerts, a talent show, celebration assemblies, prize giving, Senior School links, Sports days, Bikeability, Wake Up Shake Up, School Council Meetings, visits to the Museum to interactive learning in the classroom- our pupils have all had the opportunity to shine.

I am so proud to have had the opportunity to have been Acting Head of Highclare Woodfield from January until the Summer term and will look forward to be Site Head from September.

Our pupils continue to make us proud, our staff work so hard at producing the best experiences and outcomes, our parents are also amazing at continuing to support us in all that we do. It is a privilege to work at Highclare and help to encourage each child to become confident, creative and compassionate individuals, who are eager to learn and be inspired, who TAKE CHARGE of their own learning.

As the Government’s program for academic change over the next two to three years is now clear, I feel the time is right to hand over to a new Head of Sixth Form; Mr Stephen Parkinson, who will also be responsible for Sixth Form in our newly re-furbished Sixth Form Centre and fully co-educational School. I have been very privileged to lead Highclare Sixth Form for the past twelve years and as my time is drawing nearer to retirement, along with my colleagues, who work tirelessly to help our students in so many ways, I believe it will go from strength to strength. Well done to all Sixth Form students who are moving on and Good Luck to those who are in their final period of school life.

Drama, sport, music and academic success- there are no limits at Highclare Woodfield; only the ones that we set for ourselves, pupils or staff. Each one has made a difference at the school, in so many ways. It has been an amazing year at Highclare Woodfield; we have laughed a lot and most importantly, have not been afraid to be who we are. Thank you for a truly tremendous year- we are certainly a great team!

Mrs P Embury - Head of Highclare Sixth Form

Mrs L. Morgan - Acting Head of Highclare Woodfield

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Charity and Community News School Charity for 2013/14 Cheque Presentation to the Stiliyan Petrov Foundation Pupils, parents and staff chose to raise money for Mr Petrov’s charity, The Stiliyan Petrov Foundation as their charity during the last academic year, 2013-2014. In September the pupils from all 3 Highclare School sites were very proud to be able to present a cheque to the former Aston Villa footballer.

There were a variety of events from classroom cake sales to non-uniform days whilst a group of parents energetically organised a sponsored cycle ride, a ‘Tour for a Cure’, from Highclare School to Paris. Parents and friends also organised a Charity Ball which was not only supported by the school but also by Aston Villa Football Club. In total a cheque for £27,213.60 was handed over and in conjunction with Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the money will be used to help children and families who are suffering from Leukaemia and other cancer related conditions. Stiliyan used social media then to thank the school, saying “An amazing effort from Highclare School to support our mission. A massive thank you to you all” Staff, parents and children representing all ages throughout the school came together to present the cheque in their regular Merit Assembly, celebrating the achievements of all the pupils.

School Charity for 2014/15 This year Highclare School is proud to be supporting SSAFA “The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) is a national charity that provides practical help and assistance to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force.”

Our Sixth Form began the fundraising by organising a yummy Halloween themed cake sale in school to raise money for the school charity, while volunteers from SSAFA visited all 3 school sites to help pupils understand more about the charity and the people they support.

Harvest Festival and Food Bank Donations J3 at Highclare St Paul’s led a fantastic Harvest assembly. Mr Goodfellow from Sutton Coldfield United Reformed Church also attended and thoroughly enjoyed the assembly. He was very grateful for the kind donations for the Food Bank.

J3 pupils’ seasonal performance of “Little Red Hen” at Highclare Woodfield was an excellent focus for the Harvest Service. Generous donations of tinned food and dried produce were delivered to Sutton United Reformed Church by school council members. The items were warmly appreciated and gratefully received by the Food Bank.

Remembrance Services

All pupils held special Assemblies and services to mark Remembrance Day. Highclare St Paul’s took part in a 100 Year Centenary Remembrance Assembly. Some pupils read out their independent research on World War 1 which covered all aspects of war. Mr Parcell a World War 2 veteran and great grandfather of children in school, spoke about his father’s experiences of World War 1 and his own memories of World War 2. He showed the children copies of his war medals. Two J6 pupils wore World War 1 Soldier uniforms and laid poppy wreaths on the stage. Highclare St Paul’s bought one of the Tower of London Red Ceramic poppies which is displayed in school.

Highclare Woodfield children held an assembly featuring Roy Hubbard, British Legion Area Representative and Rod Lewis, from the Western Front Association.

Both visitors spoke to the pupils about their roles and why we use the poppy for remembrance. Mr Richard Owen, singing teacher at Highclare, gave a very moving performance of “Bring Him Home” from “Les Misérables”.

Some of the Highclare Senior students entered a competition to make their own poppy for Remembrance Day. Some were felted to make brooches, others stitched into card. They all looked wonderful.

Senior and Junior Choirs Spread Festive Cheer Members of the Senior and Rhapsody choirs went to sing carols to residents at Boldmere Care Home and several residents sang along with their favourite carols. We hope to go back there next year.

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Students from all 3 sites also sang favorite Christmas songs and carols in Sutton’s Gracechurch Centre.

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Highclare St Paul’s and Highclare Woodfield Annual Pancake Races

Comic Relief at Highclare School Friday 13th March

The children all had a wonderful time taking part in their sponsored pancake races. The juniors were challenged again with an obstacle course for their races!

Between the two sites £2600 was raised for our charity SSAFA. Highclare Woodfield held a cake sale in aid of Comic Relief. Some amazing and delicious cakes were baked and brought into school and fantastic sale was set up in the Science Room.

Pre-School 1 came to school dressed in their pyjamas. They also enjoyed decorating cakes with icing and cherries!

Highclare St Paul’s children made some very imaginative ‘Red Nose’ cakes and also had a cake sale.

At the senior school, the sixth form made over £100 for Comic Relief by painting nails and selling cakes in school. Students on all three sites enjoyed a non-uniform day. Well done to all the bakers and thank you to everyone who contributed.

New Oscott Retirement Village Pupils from Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s went to the New Oscott Retirement Village, to participate in a workshop with the elderly and The Birmingham Royal Ballet in conjunction with the charity Speight of the Art. The theory was to bring the young and the old together, to unite school pupils with the elderly and to share what they have learnt. A great time was had by all.

The Great Midland Fun Run Congratulations to the Highclare School team of students, staff, parents and friends of Highclare School, who took part in the Great Midland Fun Run in Sutton Coldfield. They braved the rain, wind and 'Cardiac Hill' to raise funds for the school's chosen charity for 2015, SSAFA. Mrs Moore, Head of Senior School, ran part of the race with Jane Sutton, Stephen's mum, (as seen in this selfie!)

Stephen was a very welcome visitor to Highclare School 3 years ago when he was raising awareness of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Well done to everyone who took part.

Cheque Presentation to the African Space Trust

Charity Quiz Night for SSAFA Highclare St Paul’s hosted a Quiz Night for SSAFA in March. The evening was supported by 11 teams of parents from all three sites, Staff and Governors. The quiz was a huge success raising £600 for our charity, SSAFA! Thank you to Jon Payton our Quiz Master who asked some tricky questions!

The Chanel-Lee Easy SMILE Foundation

The Military Wives Choir Sing with Highclare Musicians At the end of the summer term we were treated to a fantastic concert in aid of our charity SSAFA. Thank you to the Military Wives York Choir who inspired us all with their touching stories and beautiful songs.

Congratulations to all our Highclare musicians and choirs who performed to an exceedingly high standard. A night for us all to remember, raising a generous amount of money for SSAFA. Thank you everyone.

In June, members of the Senior Choir took to the stage at the Birmingham Town Hall in a concert to raise funds for the Chanel-Lee Easy SMILE Foundation. Chanel-Lee was a pupil at Highclare Senior School who tragically lost her life at the age of 16. The choir members who took part thoroughly enjoyed the experience of performing at this prestigious venue, and were lucky enough to meet Hannah Barrett, the X Factor finalist, pictured here.

A cheque was handed over to Mrs Carol Lyndon (Chair of the African Space Trust) during assembly. Pupils had asked that a portion of the money raised for Red Nose Day be given to The African Space Trust as they were so impressed with the presentation given

by Mrs Lyndon in March. During a School Council meeting when possible charities for the new academic year were discussed and it was proposed by the Council that The African Space Trust be considered – it was later confirmed that the School have adopted the charity for the academic year 2015/16.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Music at Highclare School This year has seen some exciting changes in the Music Department, with new staff members joining and new extra-curricular groups being formed.

New staff include the Head of Music, Ms Stamoulis, guitar teacher, Mr Whitham, brass teacher, Miss Walker and string teachers, Miss Norris and Miss Lindsay.

Pupils have enjoyed learning about music of other cultures in U3 and trying their hand at small percussion. A new Grade 1 theory workbook has been introduced to all U3s during the Summer term; this has proven successful so will be introduced to all new U3s from the October that they join, with a view to entering them to take their Grade 1 Music Theory exam in June of that year, giving them a sense of achievement and ensuring improved music literacy.

In L4, pupils have improved their keyboard skills and have consolidated both treble and bass notation. They

have looked in depth at the Blues, Minimalism and Film Music and have improved their aural skills.

Students in U4 have explored Music of the Caribbean through listening and performance, and have taken advantage of the new KS3 Music software that has been purchased, OGenerator, to begin composing club dance music; this simple software is also available to access at home with a personal login, so pupils’ work can be set and marked remotely by the teacher.

At GCSE level, all coursework was completed successfully and pupils in L5 and U5 were treated to a Line Dancing workshop in the autumn term, as part of their “Dance Music” unit. All pupils have used the technology room to produce coursework and this continues to be an invaluable resource.

AS Level Music has run successfully this year, for the first time in approximately five years.

Extra-Curricular Music Senior Choir and Rhapsody Choir continue to run as they did last year, as does a small concert orchestra. In addition, there is now a Samba Band (equipment kindly donated by the PTA) and “Highkulele”, the Senior School’s first Ukulele group. Mr Whitham, the guitar teacher, runs the new Rock Band and has years of experience in the pop and jazz industries and the pupils are really enjoying taking part in the weekly rehearsals.

Performances this year include: • Senior Speech Night • Christmas Carol Service at St Michael’s Church • Carol singing in Tamworth, Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield • Senior Spring Concert • Chanel-Lee Easy Memorial Concert

Senior and Junior School Choirs

The Rhapsody Choir scored 90% (Outstanding category) in the Tamworth and District Music Festival and won the Vocal Ensemble cup; the last time this category was open was 1985 and Highclare won it then too! Rhapsody were invited to perform in the Prizewinners Concert.

Junior Choir In November Highclare School Junior Choir, made up of boys and girls from J3 to J6 at Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s, performed in the Lichfield Festival of Music at St Joseph's R.C. Primary School. They gave a wonderful performance of their favourite French song ‘Vois Sur Ton Chemin’.

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The School choirs have worked closely in several music events, such as the Senior Spring Concert, where the Junior Choir performed and pupils were invited to join the Senior Concert Orchestra for the evening. The Senior and Junior choirs also performed a joint piece at the Christmas Carol Service, and the Rhapsody choir have sung at both St Paul’s and Woodfield during celebration assemblies. In July, the Juniors and Seniors took part in a charity concert for SSAFA involving the York branch of the Military Wives Choir.

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Music Results – Junior

Music Results – Senior

Congratulations to all pupils who gained the following:

Congratulations to all pupils who gained the following:

PIANO Layla Wahid-Ashraf Edward Bickley Jay Kennedy Priya Atwal Layla Wahid-Ashraf Imaan Puri Ibrahim Shariff Kian Kafaie Scott Gibson Jasmine Smallwood Rosie Deacon Amina Mukhtar

Grade 1 (distinction) Prep Test (pass) Grade 1 (merit) Grade 1 (distinction) Grade 1 (distinction) Prep Test (pass) Grade 2 (pass) Prep Test (pass) Grade 2 (merit) Grade 1 (pass) Grade 2 (pass) Grade 1 (merit)

VIOLIN Jyoti Mangal Amelie Smith Ruth Rafeeq

Grade 1 (distinction) Grade 1 (distinction) Grade 1 (distinction)

SINGING Layla Wahid-Ashraf Torah Savant Isobel White

Grade 1 (merit) Grade 2 (merit) Grade 2 (pass)

CLARINET Kia Weekes

Grade 2 (pass)

Junior Golden Clef Music Awards Criteria for awarding of Music awards: member of junior choir, member of ensemble group, represented Music Department at concerts, open days and competitions, achievement for consistent musical commitment over junior career and J6 High Achiever.

BLUE AWARD Cerys Acton Georgia Fletcher Ruby Newman Molly Taunton Ayodele Adeleye Stuart Gardner Jack Newman Isabella Taylor Kimran Bal Katherine Gardner Imaan Puri Layla Wahid-Ashraf Amber Behal Alice Griffiths Ruth Rafeeq Darcie Walsh Thomas Brinkley Tristan Hooper Junior Sessegnon Elizabeth Warfield Samuel Broome Ibraheem Hussein Shaurya Shah Isobel White Joel Carn Kian Kafaie Rahul Sharma Harrison Wilson Jamie Davis Dylan Kaypee William Simmons Rhianna Yazdianpour Andrew Evans Jay Kennedy Adil Sohail Ryan Yazdianpour Oliver Field Samuel Mashil

GREEN AWARD Harleen Bal Ronav Jain Aimee Reid Jasmine Smallwood Edward Bickley Mia Jarvis Toby Robinson Amėlie Smith Rosie Deacon Megan Lozneanu Torah Savant Noah Southgate Neerali Dodhia Alice Mason-Williams Alexandra Schulz Harry Stephens Scott Gibson Daisy McGrath Junior Sessegnon Arya Walunj Amelie Haslehurst Femi Olofinjana Amelia Slater Joseph Walford GOLD AWARD Emilia Gomm Louie Haigh Emily Haynes William Marrett James Griffiths Kia Weekes ACHIEVER TROPHY AWARD Emilia Gomm Louie Haigh William Marrett Isobel White James Griffiths Samuel Mashil Kia Weekes

SINGING Lisa Bradburn Marika Fraser-Ryan Harriet Gordon Niamh Pemberton Tiffany Rowland-Lovatt Emily Semmens Sommer-Mae Shaw Olivia Smith-Pena

Grade 6 Grade 5 Grade 3 Grade 2 Grade 2 Grade 4 Grade 2 Grade 1

(merit) (pass) (pass) (merit) (pass) (pass) (pass) (pass)

FLUTE Samara Burt Abigail Davis Sung-Min Han Bethany Khan Charlotte O’Neill

Grade 5 Grade 4 Grade 1 Grade 5 Grade 2

(pass) (pass) (merit) (pass) (pass)

VIOLIN Mia Goody

Grade 1 (merit)

CELLO Marika Fraser-Ryan

Grade 1 (pass)

JAZZ PIANO Emma Bandegiati

Grade 1 (pass)

ALTO SAXOPHONE Elis Jackson

Grade 1 (merit)

TRUMPET Jocelyn Thomas

Grade 2 (pass)

LCM Musical Theatre Examination Harry Singh Grade 6 (distinction) Rockschool Drum Examination - Grade 1 Adin Kamangira (distinction) Sommer-Mae Shaw (pass)

Senior School Music Colours Full Colours

L6 Amy Parkin

Half Colours

L5 U4 Cesc Aliberch Marika Fraser-Ryan Samara Burt Jennifer Hopkinson

Ensemble Badge

U5 Laura Richardson Aneesha Sahota Sophie Pillinger Lydia Liburd

Orchestra Harry Mills Marika Fraser-Ryan Abigail Davis Elis Jackson Samara Burt

L5 Lisa Bradburn Evanne Hughes Harry Singh

L4 Charlotte O’Neill Jade Fletcher-Finchett Betty Ansell

Choir Sung-Min Han Abbie Phelps Harjot Kaur Kirandeep Paul Rebekah Olatundun Annabella Kalavanas Elis Jackson Shannon Phagura Samuel Donaghue Olivia Smith-Pena Tiffany Rowland-Lovatt Skye Langford-Brown Lily Arthurs

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Drama at Highclare School Speight of the Art with the Birmingham Royal Ballet Highclare Senior and J6 students enjoyed a visit from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, as part of the ‘Speight of the Art’ programme.

Speight of the Art helps to organise projects and events throughout the UK in an effort to bring the benefits of ‘The Arts’ in all its forms, to children of all ages and abilities.

Some of the older students were a little apprehensive to begin with but by the end of the session, it was clear that everyone had really enjoyed the experience. Their testimonials say it all: • “I’m 11 years old. At first I didn’t like ballet but once I tried it, I surprisingly adored it! Thank you for the opportunity and I hope to enjoy some ballet again very soon.” (from an U3 boy) • “I liked it because it was really fun and we were able to create our own group dances. It was cool because we could express ourselves through dance. Can we do it again please? (from a J6 girl)

The Biannual Spring Concert and Senior Drama Club This year’s Spring Concert was a resounding success. It was skilfully compared throughout the Drama department’s performance and at the beginning and end of the concert by Francesca Wood. The Drama performers opened and closed the event with placards, which when put together created a wall that showed all the different aspects of Drama and Music that the pupils can and do undertake at Highclare. They created their wall to the marvellous music of Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall Part 2’ – Fantastic!!!!! The pupils performed many individual LAMDA pieces with great skill; the girls who participated in this year’s Rotary Youth Public Speaking competition gave a faultless performance of their talk on ‘Depression’ and there were performances from a L4 group of pupils who had created an absolutely hilarious piece of drama based on the rivalry between two local Birmingham groups. There was also a performance from the U5 GCSE Drama group who gave a very moving and skilful adaptation of the story of Willy Russell’s musical ‘Blood Brothers’. It was a wonderful evening.

Public Speaking are able to perform them without the use of a script. They have worked on their delivery and have often injected humour and audience involvement into their pieces, which is very skilful as they always seem to choose serious and thoughtful topics to discuss.

The pupils who entered the competition this year were amazing and worked exceptionally hard through a period of time that was academically very challenging for them.

It was very difficult for this year’s group to inject humour into their chosen topic as they chose to talk on the very serious and potentially life threatening topic of ‘Depression’ and how, as a mental health issue, it is often either swept aside by society and ignored, or stigmatised to the point where sufferers feel persecuted and have nowhere to turn for help. There was a sad but poignant reference to Robin Williams who sadly passed away this year as a result of many years of suffering with depression. The girl’s did an absolutely wonderful job and came second overall.

The ‘Rotary Youth Public Speaking’ competition that takes place around the start of every year is one that Highclare has taken part in for a few years now.

It has always been a positive and enjoyable experience and the pupils who are brave enough to get involved each year have all worked incredibly hard; writing their own speeches and then rehearsing them thoroughly so that they

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From left to right: Pervana Kandola, Stephanie O’Shea, Rida Kashif, Mr Eric Dance,

Proposer of the Vote of Thanks Speaker Chairperson President of Wylde Green Rotary Club

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Jack and the Beanstalk Highclare Woodfield Juniors put on a spectacular performance of the wellknown pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. The production was the Roald Dahl version, where all the lines are delivered in rhyming couplets. This provided great entertainment and enjoyment for the packed audience, who declared it to be a resounding success.

All the children put a huge amount of work into learning their lines and there were some outstanding, Oscar winning performances. The songs were brilliantly sung, with great enthusiasm and energy and all the children thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

Highclare Juniors always put on truly wonderful performances, but this one will be hard to beat next year.

Aladdin Trouble There was lots of fun and laughter when the juniors at Highclare St Paul’s amazed the crowd with their very own version of the story of Aladdin.

The children had worked really hard to create a performance which included some dazzling dancing. The children sang superbly and their parents, staff and friends all enjoyed the show.

LAMDA

(London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts)

The school is proud to be a centre for practical examinations in communication and performance subjects set by LAMDA, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Over the three school sites there are currently 113 pupils participating in LAMDA work and examinations. We concentrate on four particular LAMDA disciplines: Speaking of Verse and Prose Acting (both solo and duologue), Reading for Performance Speaking in Public.

The pupils are taught singularly or in pairs. They have one 15 minute lesson every week for 30 weeks of the academic year. The grades cover the Introductory Levels for the youngest pupils up to Grade Eight (Gold Medal) which can be taken in each of the disciplines.

Highclare is a private LAMDA Examination centre due to the amount of pupils we teach. We have two examination sessions in a year, usually December and July. Each examination session lasts three days, although due to a proportion of higher grades being taken there has had to be an extra morning added on to this year’s July session. For ease and convenience we spend examination time at each of our three different sites. This year we will have had a day at St Paul’s (although it will have been a day and a half in July), one day at the Abbey and one day at Woodfield.

Our success rate is outstanding and amongst its many positives are; confidence in performing in front of an audience, independent learning and thought, and the fact that medal level students gain points that go towards the UCAS University entrance applications.

Edward Williams U3R receiving his LAMDA Certificate from Dr Luker he achieved a Distinction!

Our latest July examination results were excellent, with a total of 100 pupils taking exams, gaining a 100% pass rate, with 73 of these gaining a distinction, 19 awarded a merit and 8 passes. Congratulations to all the pupils who took examinations this year, both in December and July.

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Highclare Senior School school for effort and achievement and there were two very special awards given for the first time.

The Margaret Viles Trophy was awarded for Endeavour, being given to the school to mark the retirement of Mrs Viles after 11 years as Head.

Another new prize was given for the first time and marked the passing of the school’s football coach, Bernard Day who sadly passed away last summer.

His passion for the beautiful game was recognised by awarding a prize for excellence in football.

Senior Speech Night 2014 Pupils, parents and staff enjoyed a well-deserved evening of celebration at Senior School Prize Giving. In November past pupils, together with their parents, came to receive their A level certificates and updated us on their experiences so far at university. GCSE and subject prizes were awarded, together with prizes throughout the

Taster Day in Senior School In preparation for Taster Day at Highclare Senior School, U3 pupils visited the Junior Schools at Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s to tell them all about their school life.

When J6 visited the Senior School they were able to experience a selection of lessons with specialist teachers. One of these was a Design Technology where Mr Callear showed the students how to design and make their own ‘Book Monster’.

Home Economics Home Economics is a popular choice for both boys and girls and this year sees the first co-ed cohort starting the two year GCSE course. They have produced some excellent practical work and the girls and boys have enjoyed working together sharing their culinary knowledge. The group has produced some super practical work over the year, in particular their beautiful Christmas cakes.

In the U5, the girls that began the course have all progressed really well. The work they produced for their second piece of coursework – the food study task is particularly pleasing. Each pupil chose a different theme this year, which gave rise to some very interesting topics which had personal links to the pupils. They were able to cook and present some super dishes which showcased their skills.

The U5 Prom Our U5 girls, together with their guests, enjoyed a beautiful evening at Moxhull Hall in June to celebrate the end of the GCSE examinations. The girls looked simply stunning, the food was delicious, the music was great and the sun shone all evening. ‘Perfect!’ was the answer given when the girls were asked to describe the event.

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English Theatre Visits In order to support our curriculum this year the English department has arranged several theatre trips.

U3 went to see the ‘BFG’ at the Birmingham Rep in December.

L5 and the U5 went to see ‘Of Mice and Men’ at the Birmingham Rep to support their GCSE English Literature examination.

Creative Writing Competitions The annual Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 competitions were judged in February by Mrs Riley and certificates awarded in assembly to successful students.

At Key Stage 3 the pupils were set the task of writing a story based on the phrase: ‘On the doorstep was a brown paper package wrapped up in string.’ The standard was high and the students proved themselves to be very imaginative writers.

Key Stage 3 Winners Overall winner: Nicholas Dowling Second: Jenny Hopkinson Third: Abbie Phelps Highly Commended: Samara Burt Gabrielle Clarke Rehman Beckford-Gardner Harry Mills Safa Arif Lily Arthurs At Key Stage 4 the students were asked to write a creative response to one of the conflict poems set for the GCSE Literature course. Their writing was judged for the competition and was also part of their creative writing controlled assessment coursework.

Key Stage 4 Winners Evanne Hughes Overall winner: Runners Up: Jamie Richards James Southwick Highly Commended: Kiara Wheeler Ellis Toyne Catherine Watt Francesc Aliberch Padrisa Sarah White Georgia Quirke Emily Semmens Nicholas and Evanne will both receive the PTA Creative Writing Shields at Speech Night, November 2015.

Evanne Hughes has recently entered a writing competition to create a Grimm’s fairy tale in 50 words and is going to get her mini story published in an anthology.

Thank You Letter Competition with Birmingham University The English Department ran a thank you letter competition in conjunction with Birmingham University to see who young people were most thankful towards in our society. There were some wonderful letters and it was incredibly difficult to judge as many were extremely heart-rending and moving.

We were given £100 to spend on Amazon vouchers for the winners and presented the prizes in assembly. We entered 5 to the university’s national competition and 3 students, Joshua, Jenny and Harry, and their parents were invited to an award ceremony at the university where we heard Greg Rutherford deliver a very powerful and motivational speech.

Winners Joshua Pillinger Jenny Hopkinson Harry Mills Highly Commended Daniel Hurst Evanne Hughes Shiven Pattni Gabrielle Clarke Jack Walker Francesc Aliberch Padrisa Issy Davison

Debating Society Mrs Jackson has established a now popular debating society in the school which takes place every Tuesday lunchtime and in Enrichment. There is a healthy competition where students decide the topics to be debated and compete in inter-house, form and gender groups. Students from the debating Club have visited the Houses of Parliament and have participated in a young political challenge day. In addition, Dr Luker and Jack Dromey MP have judged various debates. We are now seeking to create a trophy and colours for the society.

World Book Day As part of the English department’s contribution to world book day, students were asked to bring in books they did not want anymore and we had a very successful book sale in the school library and profits went towards our whole school charity of SAAFA. We also held a quiz on the day which was run by our school librarians.

Book Clubs for U3 and L5 Mrs Daniels and the school librarians organise regular book clubs for students in U3 to L5.

All U3 and L4 students were bought a book as part of the Book Buzz scheme this year to encourage and inspire the love of reading.

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Mathematics UK Maths Challenge Pupils have achieved outstanding individual success in the Intermediate and Junior Mathematics Challenges organised by the UK Mathematics trust this year.

At the beginning of February 10 pupils from a mixture of U4, L5 and U5 year groups took part in the Intermediate Maths Challenge. The UKMT Individual Maths Challenges are lively, intriguing multiple choice question papers, which are designed to stimulate interest in maths. All students did well, but the following pupils were awarded certificates for their amazing efforts: Silver: Emily Semmens Bronze: Pervana Kandola, Belinda Gandham and Miyu Funeno Similarly, at the end of April, 10 pupils from a mixture of U3 and L4 students took part in the Junior Maths Challenge.

Here, the following pupils were awarded certificates for their exceptional efforts: Silver: Samuel Donaghue and Shiven Pattni Bronze: Katie Power Certificates were presented in assembly by Dr Luker.

Junior Maths Challenge winners

Maths Surgery

Using MyMaths in Maths Surgery

Maths surgery continues to run successfully once a week after school. Numbers have been healthy, with a range of students from different year groups seeking extra help with their work. Quite a few members of U5 attended regularly in the run up to their GCSE examinations, focusing on specific topics or seeking help with past papers.

As a department, we recently subscribed to mymaths.co.uk, which is a fully interactive online learning resource suitable for all ages and abilities right up to A-Level, and can be accessed 24/7 from school, home, or even when on holiday. Our subscription commenced in April and it has been utilised by students for homework tasks, reinforcement in maths surgery, revision and by those who have been absent from school. On recent visits to the Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St. Paul’s sites, the login details were shared with J6 staff to help the Junior section stretch and challenge pupils who may be joining the senior school next year.

Science

West Midlands Chemistry Quiz GCSE Science Live

The Physics Big Quiz

A team of four students were entered for the annual West Midlands Chemistry Quiz which took place in December. The team had to comprise of two L5 and two U5 students. There was a great deal of interest so names were picked out of a hat to make up the team. The Highclare School team played against St Francis of Assisi Technology College in the first round and were, unfortunately beaten in what was a very challenging quiz. However, the level of interest, enthusiasm and support from the students for this quiz was fantastic.

A trip was organised to GCSE Science Live in March, for triple scientists in L5 and a number of U5 students. There were lectures on a range of topics in physics, chemistry and biology by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Dr Simon Singh, Professor Andrea Sella, Dr Maggie Aderin Pocock and Professor Robert Winston.

It was a very inspiring day and amazing to see so many famous current scientists.

A Partial Solar Eclipse The end of science week in March, was perfectly rounded off with the natural phenomena of the partial solar eclipse visible in the UK. We had a pair of and the school telescope set up to project the image of the sun and students looked at images using a pin hole. The majority of staff and students joined the science department on the tennis courts to witness maximum coverage of the sun in this event, which will not be witnessed in the UK again until 2026.

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The Physics Big Quiz for U4 students was held in January at the University of Birmingham.

The 12 Highclare School students had some tough questions to answer and had an inspiring lecture by Professor Martin Freer.

One of the three groups taking part in the quiz came 43rd out of 300 teams. They all did really well and thoroughly enjoyed their day, many were inspired to think of a career in science and engineering.

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The Big Bang Science and Engineering Show The students in U3 went on a trip to the Big Bang Science and Engineering Show in March. They saw an amazing show about coding and visited many different stands with a wide range of science activities. The students were buzzing about the day and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Geography Geography students have enjoyed several educational trips this year. They have included a visit to Lichfield for U3 (in conjunction with the RS Department) and a visit to Kingsbury Water Park for L4. In Lichfield, pupils tested geographical hypotheses by asking questions, mapping and conducting pedestrian counts. AS Geographers accompanied us on this visit and proved themselves to be superb role models for the younger pupils.

The Kingsbury visit focused on a study of the River Tame and orienteering skills. This was our first visit as a Department to Kingsbury and replaced our usual Middleton Lakes visit (the field study centre has closed there this year.)

Three Goats & a Chicken Our L5 Geographers study forms of aid as part of their GCSE study of development.

Determined to make a difference themselves, they baked and sold cakes hoping to raise sufficient money to purchase a goat for a Tanzanian village through the charity Farm Africa. They were then delighted when they actually raised enough to fund 3 goats and a chicken.

GCSE students at work

Religious Studies LichďŹ eld Cathedral During the trip to Lichfield, organised as a joint outing with the Geography department, the U3 students visited Lichfield Cathedral as part of the Religious Studies curriculum of Christianity. They were given a guided tour explaining the key features of the Cathedral and its fascinating history. Some students tried out being a Bishop! The general public of Lichfield were very friendly and complimented the pupils for their smart appearance and good manners!

L4 visit to a Sikh Gurdwara In March L4 Religious Studies students visited the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Smethwick, as part of their learning about the religion of Sikhism. The Gurdwara is one of the largest Gurdwaras in the UK and also has one of the largest congregations in the UK. It was established in 1961.

During the trip we learnt many interesting facts about Sikhism, including important stories about the Martyrdom of some of its Gurus. Our helpful guide also told us about the history of Sikhism, answered some of our questions about this religion and gave us a guided tour around the Gurdwara. During the visit to the Gurdwara we were allowed into the Diwan room (main worship room) and witnessed the usual worship service in the Gurdawara of the recitation of the Sikh Scriptures and we were offered Karah Parshad (a sweet mix of flour, butter and sugar). We were all went to the Langar Hall where we were treated to a vegetarian meal of curry, roti and rice. A successful half trip day all in all!

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Modern Foreign Languages Students Travel to France At the end of March a group of senior pupils and five members of staff travelled to Normandy. They stayed in a picturesque old chateau in Molay-Littry, not far from the medieval town of Bayeux. The pupils had a fun-filled and jam-packed itinerary. The chateau staff provided disco night, crêpe tasting, a blindfold trail and an egg protector game to name but a few. Also they visited the Bayeux Tapestry, the American and German war cemeteries and the D-Day museum in Arromanches. They had fun in the sun on Gold and Omaha beaches and the pupils especially enjoyed the free taster bag of caramel from the Caramels d'Isigny factory, where they also had a tour around the factory. It was a most enjoyable trip and everyone is looking forward to returning to the Chateau du Molay.

ICT

Screenshots of pupils work using App Inventor software

Screen shot of Jenny Hopkinson’s website on ‘5 Seconds of Summer’

The ICT department has implemented many changes as a result of new courses that have run for the very first time. GCSE Computing, GCSE Business Studies and AS Level ICT have proven to be popular subjects with good numbers for each subject. A new BTEC curriculum has also been offered for core ICT,

running alongside ECDL for the L5 students. All U5 students have gained the ECDL qualification with pleasing results.

All U3 to U4 pupils have been taught software skills based around project work using the system’s life cycle approach to creating IT solutions for a specific purpose and audience. The pupils use this ‘real life’ IT model that involves investigation, design, implementation, testing and evaluation stages. All pupils have been exposed to computing with L4 and U4 students using Python to complete programming tasks. All L4 and U4 students have developed web authoring skills and created some excellent websites. They have also learnt computing and IT theory to supplement their practical skills. All the U5 were entered for the BCS ECDL qualification and 11 pupils opted to study GCSE Computing.The students completed the first Controlled Assessment where they were expected to design and create an app for a university campus so that students can reserve and cancel computers in any one of the buildings for private study.There is also a group of students studying ICT at A Level. E-safety is fully embedded in all programmes of study across year groups. Specialist activities and tasks were completed by pupils during Internet Safety Week.

History U3 Travel to Kenilworth The U3 History students visit to Kenilworth Castle was designed to help extend their current programme of study on medieval life. They were guided around the castle and told all about medieval warfare. The tour allowed them to see how castles were both attacked and defended and gave them a feel for the grim reality of being a soldier in medival times.

L4 Students visit Tutbury Castle L4 students visited the impressive semi-ruined castle of Tutbury where they received a talk from a historian dressed as Elizabeth I’s favourite adviser Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. The students were able to gain a realistic impression of Elizabeth’s private life, ask questions about her and handle Tudor artefacts. The students were also able to thoroughly explore the castle’s rooms, battlements and grounds. It was an excellent visit, fitting in nicely with the students’ studies on the Tudors and Stuarts.

Careers The Skills Show Senior students enjoyed their visit to The Skills Show, the nation’s largest skills and careers event, which was held at the NEC. The event attracts over 75,000 visitors and provides hands-on experience that inspires young people to explore further education, skills and Apprenticeships.

Special guests and speakers included Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, the former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Minister for Skills and Enterprise Matthew Hancock and The Skills Show patron Theo Paphitis.

Some of our students were given the opportunity to meet and talk to Nick Clegg and he was happy to be photographed with them.

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U5th Work Experience

Monday 22nd June – Friday 3rd July 2015 After the external GCSE exams were completed, 25 students secured a work experience placement for one or two weeks.

Several students also signed up to do ‘The Challenge’ (a similar venture to the D of E Award) during the holidays and one student won a national design competition and gained a week’s placement at a graphic design company for the holidays.

Work Placement opportunities included: Accountancy Practice Children’s Nurseries Coleman & Company (demolition and land reclamation) Dental Surgery Dog Groomers and Kennels Smith & Nephew University of Birmingham, Accounting and Finance Office and Physics Departments Wyndley Leisure Centre Dunlop Tyres

Highclare Music Department Insurance Broker A Lifesaving Course Lyle & Scott (clothing) Opticians Pharmacy PJ Rhodes (car repairs) Primary Health Care Centre Primary Schools

Feedback from an employer: “I just wanted to contact you to let you know that I was very impressed with Georgia …... We visited a demolition and remediation site,…… where we interviewed the Project Supervisor,……Georgia typed up a press release for our website and I edited the final content. She did a really great job!

Marketing Manager, Coleman & Co (demolition and land reclamation)

Art

Digital Design with Rachel Richardson-Jones

ISA Success The start of the year saw the Art department’s best ever result in the prestigious ISA Arts Competition. We achieved 4 Regional and 3 National Wins overall, with 2 First Prizes in both the Regional and National Competitions going to Art. Maya Shrestha won First Prize in the KS5 Design Category with “Burning Heart” and the U3 artists scooped 1st place for “Hidden Art”, a collection of decorated prints in the KS2 Group Category.

'Garlic' Pattern repeat by Francesca Wood

Summer Art Shows Celebrate Success

By Maya Shrestha

2015 once again saw the return of digital surface pattern designer Rachel Richardson-Jones, who worked with our A Level students to generate a range of designs for fashion and interior use. Each student produced a collection of designs for their coursework portfolios in Photoshop, with influences ranging from ‘Momento-mori’, 1950’s and 1970’s design and anatomy. The designs were professionally printed and featured as key elements of the students’ final exhibition. by

La ur N en ew An Yo de rk rs o nBr ya n

A total of 18 students submitted work for assessment this year, with 15 students at GCSE and 3 at A Level. The GCSE moderator commented on the professional standard of the display. Pictured are images from the summer 2015 shows and A Level candidates, Francesca Wood, Lauren Anderson-Bryan and Maya Shrestha.

Amalgam by Maya Shrestha

Design Technology The introduction of Product Design to students in U3, L4 and U4 has broadened the pupils understanding of materials, techniques and given them a wider range of design experiences. A rotation system between the three creative subjects has been introduced in the student’s timetable this year and Product Design has been added to the GCSE option choices given to U4 pupils.

As a launch to the GCSE controlled assessment task, the L5 Design Technology group went to a designer/maker event at Birmingham City University in April.

The event provided an opportunity for them to find out about methods of manufacture and use of materials, as well as expanding their product development knowledge and explore design possibilities. Students attend a talk by Patricia van den Akker, Director of the Design Trust and had an opportunity to meet and talk to designer/makers who have set up small design businesses in and around the West Midlands.

GCSE and A Level work

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Highclare Junior School J3 - Moving Monsters

Science in the Sun

The children in J3 had great fun using design technology to make their moving monsters. They used a range of materials and colourful paint to make them come alive.

J3 made the most of the sunshine. They were able to take a Science lesson outside where they could draw around each other’s shadow.

Bikeability Children in J3P and J4R were invited to join the Bikeability Challenge. J3P enjoyed a taster session and J4R took part in the Level 1 challenge. Pupils learnt the ‘M check’ - how to ride slowly, which improved their balance and handling of the bike. They were also assessed on how to correctly signal around corners by looking over their shoulder. Continual observations were noted by the team and assessed against a specific criteria of attainment. The children in both classes found that they had become more confident in their cycling ability by the end of the session.

J4 - Prepare for Battle Students from J4 visited the Lunt Roman Site near Coventry. They enjoyed a tour of the fort in the morning, learning about what it would have looked like in Roman times. Pupils listened to a talk about the gruesome (and often smelly) ways that the Romans kept the Celts out of their fort. 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 was the gyrus, which was an area for training cavalry horses. It is the only one in the world to be found inside a fort. The children also looked at the outlines of where the buildings would have been. They saw the hospital, the baths and the soldiers' dormitories and discovered why there would only have been six beds in a room which belonged to eight men. They went inside the only reconstructed building at Lunt, the granary and learnt more about what the buildings inside the fort may have looked like and what the soldiers wore. J4 were all issued with a gladius (sword) and taught how to wear and draw it. They were then each given a scutum (shield) and were led off into training. The pupils marched shouting ‘sin, dex’, which means ‘left, right’ in Latin. Their teachers tried to attack J4 with arrows but the teachers were outnumbered and victory belonged to the J4 children! They all passed the test and were sworn in to the Roman Army.

A great day !!

Independent Learning in Science J4 pupils were introduced to circuits this year. They were handed a set of instructions alongside a selection of suitable components; batteries, holders, coated wires, a wire stripper, crocodile clips, paper clips, small light bulbs, light bulb holders, pieces of card, split pins. Their objective was to assemble a working circuit, with a switch to enable a bulb to be turned on and off. They could work in small groups or independently.

Cerys created a successful circuit and proceeded to aid others in their quest for a solution.

They all established how classroom equipment could be used to create a working, electronic unit.

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Erdington Fire Station Crew visit J4 J4 welcomed a crew from Erdington Fire Station to Highclare Woodfield. The crew called 'Sparks!' demonstrated safety in and around the home and spoke about hazards and how to evacuate from a burning building, safely.

Pupils watched a video that demonstrated how fast a bedroom could burn - it took less than 3 minutes for the furniture to become completely engulfed in flames, with choking thick black smoke. J4R now understand the importance of Smoke Alarms and how to avoid possible dangers. WE ARE FIRE SAFETY AWARE and would like to thank Erdington Fire Station for re-scheduling their visit, which was postponed due to the emergency call-out to attend a factory fire in Smethwick.

J4 at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery J4 children went to see the Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon Hoard at The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery after studying the Anglo-Saxons, Pagan Gods and the poem, Beowulf. The students were escorted to the workshop where they worked in pairs excavating a grave. Then they learned how the hoard was discovered in Staffordshire. J4 were given metal detectors to locate artefacts from sand and then researched what they were used for.

Fun at Woodlands Adventure and Outdoor Learning Centre All of the junior children at Highclare St Paul’s enjoyed an exciting and exhausting day at Woodlands in Walsall. Activities included canoeing, climbing, swinging and best of all, having fun! They worked in small groups to help and encourage each other.

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Junior Maths Challenge J5 Students visit Two teams from Highclare St Paul’s and Highclare Woodfield travelled to Wrekin College in Shropshire to take part in a Maths Competition. Highclare secured both first & third place in the competition.

Well done to all the children who took part!

The Shakespeare Centre J5 from Highclare Woodfield spent a very enjoyable and informative day in Stratford, studying and learning about all areas of Tudor life. The children experienced a variety of activities at The Shakespeare Centre and were interested and fascinated by the lives of people in Tudor times. They especially enjoyed writing with ink and quill pens, studying genuine Tudor coins and seeing authentic documents in the vaults. J5 then visited Shakespeare’s house and birthplace, where the cramped and basic facilities compared to today’s houses were noticed.

A walk through Stratford followed and the children looked at the different architecture and style of the buildings.

J5 Design Technology In Design Technology this term, children in J5 were given the opportunity to research, design and make a range of ties, with some exciting results!

Tadpoles at Highclare St Paul’s J5 used the pond in the Millenium Garden at Highclare St Paul’s to help with a science study. They observed the frogspawn that appeared and waited for it to hatch into tadpoles. They excitedly followed their development to frogs !

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J6 Study Journalism During the spring term J6 pupils studied journalism. They examined different types of newspapers and written articles themselves about Jack and the Beanstalk, the School production at Highclare Woodfield, and about the eclipse on Friday 20th March. If writing about the former, they reported on how the whole show was put together. When reporting on the eclipse, they wrote about the opportunity J6 had to watch it through pinhole cameras and then watch the television coverage of the total eclipse with the rest of the Juniors. Their reports contained information that would answer the key questions.

Following this, they have been preparing for a mock news conference, learning about fact and opinion and bias in reporting. In pairs, the children designed a new innovation to be announced to the world at a news conference. These sessions took place over two days, with the rest of the class acting as very sceptical journalists. A set of lively debates followed.

J6 children have learnt that they must plan and prepare properly. They have learnt the value of asking key questions, and also be able to “think on their feet” when having to respond to those challenging question.

J6 Business Enterprise Budding entrepreneurs in J6P raised a whopping £792.94 for SSAFA this term by creating their own business enterprises. Working in groups, the children wrote business plans, pitched their ideas, sourced their products and organised their sales completely independently. The children showed great initiative, tremendous business acumen and excellent teamwork.

J6 Visit the

Black Country Museum J6 pupils have been studying the Victorian Era and so they really enjoyed their Black Country Museum experience where they were transported back to Victorian Times.

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Highclare Infants Reception Reception class at Highclare Woodfield went into the garden to plant some winter flowering Pansies. They used some old wellington boots to create imaginative plant pots.

Children in Reception always enjoy their educational trips out of school. At the end of the year they wrapped up well and went sledging in the snow at the Snowdome in Tamworth.

Reception children at Highclare St Paul’s were delighted to see all of the different types of butterflies at the Butterfly Farm in Stratford upon Avon.

They enjoyed looking at and handling the mini beasts and learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. This proved to be a great introduction to their topic on mini beasts.

J1- Shugborough Hall J1 children felt like they had stepped back in time when they visited Shugborough Hall. They were fascinated by the scale of the rooms, especially the kitchens, where the cook and her kitchen maids had to cater for so many people.

Weston Park

Dressing up in old fashioned children’s clothes and playing with wooden toys was all part of the experience enjoyed by J1 when they visited Weston Park.

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Children in J1 put on their coats and reflective tabards and walked to the nearest post box to post their letters.

The children also enjoyed learning about money in their Maths lessons.

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A visit to the Gurdwara J1P joined Reception children when they visited the Ramaharia Seikh Temple. The Gurdwara operates a free kitchen called a “Langar” which means that all who enter the temple will receive free food. During their visit, the children were offered a lunch of beans and chips followed by some Parsaad, which is a sweet made with water, sugar, butter, semolina and wheat flour.

Learning about the Great Fire of London Improvisation and role play in our theatre workshop helped J2 to understand about the Great Fire of London.

Mother’s Day Assembly There were tears and smiles at J1’s Mother’s Day Assembly at Highclare Woodfield. Not a dry eye in the house!

Visiting Mere Green Library Children in J2 at Highclare St Paul’s enjoyed their trip to Mere Green Library. They were able to explore the shelves and learned how to select and withdraw books to take home.

Health and Growth J2 have been busy studying the food groups in their Health and Growth topic for Science.

Children in J2 visited Pizza Express in Sutton Coldfield where they learned how to make pizza. Yum! Mr & Mrs Diamond came to visit J2 to talk about ‘old’ technology. The children had a go at typing their names using a very old typewriter. They also played the “musical banana keyboard” using a simple circuit.

Children attend the opening of the Quinto Lounge Children and staff at Highclare St Paul’s and Highclare Woodfield were invited to the opening of the Quinto Lounge in Sutton Coldfield.

The children were asked to make and decorate biscuits, which were then judged by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. All of the children thought that meeting the Lord Mayor of Birmingham was fantastic!

Darcy, from Highclare St Paul’s, won the colouring competition and her prize is to take some of her friends for a complimentary meal.

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Highclare Pre-school Pre-school was given a new look in September 2014 and our classes all given new names: Pre-school 1

Ladybirds

(Highclare Woodfield only)

Yellow Butterflies Red Butterflies Blue Butterflies Pre-school 2

Buzzy Bees Bumble Bees Honey Bees

Pre-school children at Highclare St Paul’s were delighted to see how their playground had been transformed over the summer holiday.

A mural was painted by local artist, Bruce Jones. The Gruffalo mural also inspired the children to create their own pictures.

In Nursery/Pre-school 1, the Ladybirds at Highclare Woodfield had fun celebrating Eid. They decorated stars and moons and enjoyed creating henna patterns on hands.

Steve Smallman, a local author, came to visit the pre-school children at Highclare Woodfield during Book Week. They really enjoyed his stories and illustrations.

Pre-school Weather Report The children really enjoyed learning while playing in the snow. They have been learning about the weather, this involved making their own weather report. The children took part in a sensory weather afternoon where they were able to explore the properties of weather and use lots of new vocabulary.

Bumblebees enjoyed a trip to the farm on a beautifully sunny day.

While exploring the properties of ice the children had to rescue the penguins frozen in ice blocks using lots of different tools. They also tried using salt, warm water and cold water.

Luckily, they managed to free the penguins before it was too late!

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Pre-school Photo Gallery

Preparing food and making bread.

Tidying up the playground from autumn leaves.

Road safety awareness is one of many Life Skills experienced in Pre-school.

The summer term is always a fun time in Pre-school at Highclare Woodfield.

The Ladybirds had fun joining in with ‘wake up shake up’. They enjoyed dancing with the older children and created some dance movements of their own!

Cutting the grass

Pre-School children at Highclare St Paul’s love being creative. They were given a collection of materials to help build castles.

As part of their Farm topic in Pre- School 2, the pupils all went outside and walked through ‘thick oozy mud’ and a variety of other gloopy, sticky and crunchy things!

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Junior PGL At the beginning of June, J6 students from Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s visited PGL at Liddington, Wiltshire, for an exciting outdoor adventure experience.

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Senior PGL In October, L4 pupils visited Boreatton Park in Shropshire. This provides a great opportunity to meet challenges head-on as our students tackle a range of different adventure activities, designed to motivate, build confidence and encourage a desire to succeed.

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www.DofE.org The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme has been running at Highclare School since 2013 and every year more and more students are becoming involved in this rewarding program.

Participants are required to complete four different sections: • Expedition • Physical • Skill • Volunteering At the Gold level, participants are also required to take part in a residential program.

Each participant is able to create their own individual award as they chose the activities to complete for each section. Often students gain recognition for something they have been doing for a long time such as piano lessons or football training. The award scheme also gives students the opportunity to try something new such as sign language or playing the ukulele. Many staff at Highclare School facilitate the award by acting as assessors for students participating in the wealth of extra-curricular activities on offer.

Bronze Award During the U4 students at Highclare School have the opportunity to start working towards their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

The highlight of the year for many students is the outdoor activity trip to Wales. Four days are spent at the CMC Adventure Centre where the students participate in expedition training sessions such as map-reading, route planning, navigation and camp craft. The teams can put their newly acquired skills to the test during an overnight expedition in the hills surrounding Llanbedr. In addition to this students complete team building activities such as canoeing, gorge walking and orienteering. This trip is a fabulous opportunity for the students to show off their skills outside the classroom whilst discovering hidden talents, making new friends and having lots of fun!

After the exams in June the U4 complete their first practice expedition.

Student teams are remotely supervised, meaning that supervisors are in the area and meet with the teams at various points along their journey, but this is often their first experience of being independent and responsible for themselves. Despite getting lost, sleeping in a soggy sleeping bag and eating under-cooked pasta this is always an enjoyable and memorable weekend for the students – a steep learning curve in many cases!

The students plan and prepare for the qualifying expedition before the end of the summer term and they complete the expedition during September in the L5 year. An expedition assessor meets with the student teams before, during and after their expedition to assess their personal expedition skills and their teamwork. The assessors have always been very impressed with the conduct and teamwork from the Highclare School groups.

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Congratulations to the L5 students who completed their Bronze qualifying expeditions in September 2014. The teams had to plan a route, navigate their group through the countryside, carry all of their equipment and food – including tents, sleeping bags and stoves for an overnight camp. All students agreed that the expedition was a real challenge but it was definitely extremely rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable. All teams successfully completed this section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Many have now completed the Bronze award and are preparing to start the Silver.

Silver Award The minimum time frame for completing the Silver award is 12 months, indicating the increased level of commitment and dedication required by the young people to achieve this level. Students are required to train for, plan and complete a practice and qualifying expedition of three days each. A tremendous effort has been displayed by all of the students who have completed this challenge so far.

Gold Award This year Highclare School is excited to be preparing its first students to “Go for Gold”. This award is achieved by so few and held in such great esteem that those who manage to complete the Gold Award are invited to St James’ Palace to be presented with it. We wish our students the best of luck on this challenging journey!

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Geography Department visit to Sicily This was most certainly the highlight of the year for the Geography Department! The visit was over 5 days and included 38 pupils from U4, L5, U5 and 5 members of staff. We were based in Sant’Alessi Siculo in a family run hotel opposite the beach. Our programme of study was action packed and included: • A Sicilian puppet show • Ascending Mount Etna by cable car and jeep for a guided trek • Exploring lava caves created by an eruption of Mount Etna in 1792 • Visiting an interactive lava museum • Pizza making • Wading in Alcantara basalt gorge • Visiting the amphitheatre and shopping in Taormina • A boat trip to Vulcano and a three hour trek up an active volcano • Relaxation in sulphurous mud baths The whole visit was recorded daily on the Highclare School Twitter account, keeping everyone up to date with their progress.

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New Sixth Form Common Room

Our Sixth Formers celebrated the opening of their newly refurbished Common Room when Jack Dromey, MP for Erdington came along to perform an official opening. Mr Dromey was able to relax with students and sample the advantages of Sixth Form life at Highclare where the addition of a wide screen TV, café style eating area, up to the minute kitchen facilities and permanent Wi-Fi is great news for all.

“The common room has undergone a complete transformation and has been turned into a space that exceeds university accommodation!” said Head Prefect, Sophie-Jayne Bridgens. Mr Dromey spoke to her at length about the highlights of Sixth Form life at Highclare as well as the future aspirations of both herself and colleagues who will be moving on to university in the Autumn or furthering entrepreneurial pursuits.

The common room now also has relaxing corner sofas allowing students to socialise and read newspapers. The dedicated Wi-Fi allows students to make use of their iPads which are provided to each student on entry to the Sixth Form to aid independent study. It really has become a great addition to Sixth Form life!

New Art and Design Technology Suites September 2014 saw the Art, Design Technology, Textiles and newly formed Product Design departments take up a new location in the Brisco building. The new rooms on the ground floor comprise a light modern space with newly installed Product Design equipment, as well as a small IT resource room. The new rooms have been welcomed and are well used by students from across the school. The resource room, in particular, allows the Sixth Form students who are studying Art & DT to work on private study outside of their lessons.

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Sports Hall The PE department were pleased to take occupation of a new second Sports Hall based in the Northway building in September 2014. The new sports facility is ideal for playing Netball, Basketball and other indoor games. It adds a dedicated playing area to the impressive indoor and outdoor facilities for sport at Highclare Senior School. It is also shared and used by Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s for Junior sporting actitivites.

Gruffalo mural brightens up the playground Pre-school children at Highclare St Paul’s were delighted to see how their playground had been transformed over the summer holiday.

A mural was painted by local artist, Bruce Jones. The grand opening of the Gruffalo mural was attended by Bruce Jones and Dr Luker.

The Gruffalo mural also inspired the children to create their own pictures.

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Sixth Form Life Two Sixth Formers spend the summer volunteering in Nepal Two Sixth Formers spend the summer volunteering in Nepal Highclare School students are encouraged to get involved with fund raising events and appropriate community service. We are very proud of our Head Girl, Sophie-Jayne and fellow Sixth Former Harriett, who returned to school in September after volunteering in Nepal with "Projects Abroad" during the summer break.

body/healthy mind, as well as our local police liaison officers coming in to talk about ‘legal highs’, e:safety and safe driving.

As part of our end of year programme, all students are taken through the journey of applying to universities as well as visiting the Higher Education convention at Aston University. Many are also studying an on-line course from University of East Anglia in preparation for university over six weeks.

What an exciting year!

It started with the issue of iPads to all our sixth formers and swiftly there became a mission to find the best apps to replace traditional school planners.

Students experienced in using this new technology were eager to share their knowledge with friends and staff!

Our U5 students joined us once again for a morning in Sixth Form and this was a huge success. This opportunity enabled us to talk to pupils about their career aspirations, and the importance of researching the requirements for various professions. It gave them a great insight into Sixth Form life as they shared some lunch and chat about life after GCSE. The Sixth Form year closed with the annual Sixth Form Dinner in May. What a fabulous evening! Sun shining, Sixth form students looked amazing and parents & family members looked on with pride. The event heralds the end of school education and congratulates our young adults for their hard work in Sixth Form. All students were able to relax in the garden for photographs even though one was sitting her first examination the very next morning. Our very best wishes go to all members of Highclare Sixth Form in their future careers.

Next in the year came some fund raising. Sixth formers embraced a spooky theme for their Halloween cake sale and found ways to attract the buyers attention. Fundraising in Sixth Form helps everyone to work as a team, brush up their business skills and polish their customer service. All, of course being used for their important UCAS personal statements and references.

Our AS Geographers completed a fluvial study of Plantsbrook stream in Sutton Park this year. Their examination asks about specific fieldwork skills, results gathered and for ideas on presentation and statistical testing of results. They gathered data in to test the hypothesis according to Bradshaw’s model that pebble size would be related to depth and velocity.

The A2 Level students attended a superb conference in Manchester with leading experts in the field of Tectonics presenting on recent disasters and their management. This provided an invaluable revision and was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

The year continued with our annual speech night, the Sixth Form Pantomine and mock examinations. The refurbishment of the Sixth Form common roombegan and the transformation took place over the Christmas holiday.

In the new year local MP, Jack Dromey, kindly accepted our invitation to officially ‘open’ our newly decorated, furnished and equipped common room.

He engaged with many of the pupils to congratulate them on their impressive knowledge about the forthcoming election and our Head Girl’s involvement in ‘Erdington’s Young Peoples’ Parliament’.

Enrichment Fortnight involved all students in a variety of activities and talks by guest speakers.

One of the highlights was the ‘emergency maintenance’ course run by our on-site facilities department. Developing practical skills was a welcome change from academia and agreed by students important to help survive when leaving home. The program for enrichment also included sessions on personal finance, first aid, healthy

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In Science our outgoing Head Prefect, Sophie-Jayne Bridgens, is seen here with aspirin she made during an A2 level chemistry practical. She will be taking up a place at the University of York to study electrical engineering.

The U6 History group visited London in October. They spent the morning touring the Tower of London as part of their current programme of study on the Tudors. They were also able to view the display of thousands of ceramic poppies marking the centenary of the start of the First World War. After lunch the students had some free time before finishing the day by watching the sunset over the Houses of Parliament.

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Sociology November’s sixth form trip to Nottingham’s Museum of Justice was organised with sociologists in mind. The second and final unit in the U6 year is “crime and deviance” and thus we were keen to learn about the history of punishment (the age old principle of “spectacle” being demonstrated in the photo) and experience the dynamics of a court room (a lower sixth student happily “in the dock” right). Also relevant to the lower sixth families unit, the museum offered displays on the history of youth punishment and, relevant to sociological theory, the history of the suffragette movement. The trip was immensely informative and great fun for all!

Applied Health and Social Care The L6 had to plan, prepare and conduct a small scale health promotion campaign to a target audience of teenagers. The health campaign was based on the topic of Emotional Wellbeing which was researched during the Independent Study Days.

They obtained information and resources to use in their health campaign from local and national health promotion providers. This included interviewing an Emotional and Wellbeing Practitioner who works for a local Hospital Trust, as well as Nurse Willis, the School Nurse. Team work, communication and presentation skills were developed during the completion of this unit. The activities planned were thoroughly enjoyed by the U4 students.

English L6 Trip to the Birmingham Reparatory Theatre to see ‘Farewell to Arms’ by Ernest Hemmingway Created by multi-media company imitating the dog, co-written

by Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks, the production made use of video and live projection, sound score and other special effects more associated with the cinema rather than the stage.

The six actors, some doubling as chorus and cameramen, used microphones and the acting was good in quality. Putting a fair quantity of dialogue in French and Italian was an interesting take on the ideas of Hemmingway, especially for the older viewers.

The students come away from this show with a real grasp of the poignancy and passion of this intense and powerful novel.

Overall a wonderful experience.

‘Regeneration’ The L6 English Literature students went to see a wonderful moving performance of Pat Barker’s ‘Regeneration’. Set in 1917, the play explores the effect of the First World War on the soldiers and how many of them were affected by severe shell-shock. The play focused on the role of an eminent psychiatrist called WHR Rivers who helped many men deal with their traumas, including Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. The audience were incredibly moved by the plight of the young men who had suffered such horrific experiences and when the death of Wilfred Owen was announced at the end of the play, the silence in the theatre was deafening. ‘Regeneration’ is one of our set texts at A Level and it definitely brought the novel to life.

Law This year the Law classes have been able to make many links with the study of other subjects in the curriculum and this included the study of all ‘sources of law’ which particularly this year tied in with the lead up to the General Election.

History of our Courts and Penal System The Galleries of Justice Museum in Nottingham was this year’s visit providing the Law group with a most interesting, informative and fun day. Students performed in a mock trial reliving the real cases of 100-200 years ago. They were able to appreciate how prisoners were expected to march in the yard in front of the gallows before some were actually hanged. They were shown how a more scientific and even handed approach to punishment was needed. Studying how far things have changed in modern times and evaluating current trends in police powers, punishment and the court system all had relevance to the day’s activities and course specifications.

Judicial Law making in Britain and Commonwealth Countries After visiting the local Magistrates and Crown Courts, the law group made a visit to The Supreme Court and Royal Courts of Justice, learning about the work of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and listening to a High Court case concerning defamation.

Political reform and Parliamentary Sovereignty The current debate on staying in the European Union and the impact on our legal system brought a new dimension this year as we drew nearer to the General Election.

Studying areas of the Law of Contract where European directives and regulations are now entrenched in our domestic law raised questions about our position and procedure if after a referendum, the country decides to ‘opt out’. These topics helped students to make links between Law, General Studies, Business, History and Geography.

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Senior Sports Results September – December 2014 Hockey U15 Sutton Schools Hockey League (Wyndley Oct 2014) After 5 weeks and 15 matches our combined Year 9 and 10 girls team finished 5th in the league, with 3 wins, 7 draws and 5 losses. Thanks to the Year 11 umpires who volunteered their time to umpire.

Team: Verity O’Shea, Ellis Toyne, Annabelle Farrington, Grace Stirland, Megan Ealing, Isobel Dines, Abigail Davis, Gabrielle Clarke, Marika Fraser-Ryan, Caitlin Mail, Urooj Ayuub, Miyu Funeno.

Umpires: Simrun Degun, Laura Richardson, Jaya Pall, Ruth Kerr, Abbigale Roberts.

Netball Sutton Senior Schools League (Oct 2014) Unfortunately both weeks of league were cancelled due to wet weather, hopefully to be rearranged next term.

ISA U16 Tournament (St Dominics, Sept 2014) Highclare v Stafford – Lost 0-14 Highclare v St Edwards – Lost 3-7 Highclare v Bedstone – Lost 2-6 Highclare v Adcote – Won 7-4 Highclare v Priory – Won 3-1 Highclare v St Dominics – Lost 4-6 Highclare v Malvern St James – Lost 2-13 A very competitive tournament with a high level of individual skill and team play on show. Highclare came up against some strong teams but did not lose their fighting spirit. They managed to win 2 games, lost marginally to 2 other teams and finished 5th overall.

Team: Ellis Toyne, Grace Stirland, Verity O’Shea, Megan Ealing, Gabrielle Clarke, Georgia Batchelor, Ruth Kerr, Laura Richardson, Alisha Khanna, Amal Khalid.

Swimming Senior ISA Swimming Gala - 15 schools (Walsall, Nov 2013) Girls Boys Overall 1st 4th Year 7 9th 2nd Year 8 1st 2nd Year 9/10 6th 4th Year 8 Team winners Year 11 Team winners Year 11/12/13 1st Congratulations to Chloe Andrews, Laura Richardson, Alexandra Bartley, Harriet Gordon, Adin Kamangira, Tim Beesley and Harry Mills who have qualified to represent the Midlands at the ISA National gala at the Olympic Pool in London in January.

Girls Team: Ainara Alonso Zubialde, Jocelyn Thomas, Kate Stephens, Beaulah Johnson, Harriet Gordon, Alexandra Bartley, Niamh Pemberton, Georgia Platt, Marika Fraser-Ryan, Ellis Toyne, Lisa Bradburn, Verity O’Shea, Laura Richardson, Chloe Andrews, Maddie Broadhurst, Ruth Kerr.

Boys Team: Harry Mills, James Gibson, Piers Robinson, Stiliyan Petrov, Timothy Beesley, Adin Kamangira, Zach Andrews, Enric Aliberch, Taleb Givans, Daniel Hurst, Joseph Pemberton, Noah Griffiths.

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Cross-Country

Football

Sutton Schools Senior Cross-Country Race (Bishop Veseys, Oct 2014) Teams and finishing positions: Year 7 Girls Year 8/9 Girls Year 10/11 Girls 3 Jocelyn Thomas 3 Georgia Platt 5 Verity O’Shea 8 Skye Langford-Brown 9 Harriet Gordon 9 Georgia Batchelor 12 Beaulah Johnson 10 Caitlin O’Connor 11 Chloe Andrews 13 Ainara Zubialde 12 Niamh Pemberton 12 Ellis Toyne 14 Kate Stephens 13 Daisy Quirke 15 Lily Arthurs 14 Katie Power 18 Amelie Field Year 7 Boys Year 8/9 Boys Year 10/11 Boys 10 Jeevan Degun 2 Daniel Hurst 11 Thomas West 11 Harry Mills 8 Joseph Pemberton 12 James Gibson 11 Omid Mobed 13 Luke Dowling 22 Sami Ghafoor 14 Piers Robinson 23 Zach Andrews 15 Jorsh Johal 24 Kharam Sandhar 25 Marcus Ray 29 Timothy Beesley 30 Enric Aliberch

U12 Football Results ESSFA League- Lost 7-1 v Baverstock Academy ESSFA League - Won 3-1 v Washwood Heath ESSFA League - Lost 3-2 v Greenwood Academy 2nd in League at Sutton Schools 5 a side Tournament 3rd in League at Birmingham Schools Futsal Tournament U12 Football Squad: William Dawson, Thierry Buffon, Piers Robinson, Stiliyan Petrov, Edward Williams, Jorsh Johal, Harry Mills, Sean Phagura, James Gibson, Abdul Awan, Suleman Iqbal, Jeevan Degun, Haydar Baig.

U13 Football Results ESSFA League - Lost 5-3 v Stockland Green ESSFA League - Lost 8-5 v Greenwood Academy ESSFA League - Won 2-1 v Hodge Hill District Cup Game – v Plantsbrook U13 Football Squad: Timothy Beesley, Zach Andrews, Enric Aliberch, Kharam Sandhar, Adin Kamangira, Joshua Pillinger, Sebastian Michael, Ibrahim Iqbal, Raekwon Baptiste, Rais Khan, Jorsh Johal, Stiliyan Petrov, Piers Robinson, Thierry Buffon, Jeevan Degun.

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Football U14 ISA Midlands Tournament 2014 On Thursday 25th September the Highclare U14 football squad competed in the ISA U14 Midlands Football Tournament. The tournament was hosted by Dixie Grammar school at their superb facilities in Market Bosworth. The Highclare squad won every group match with impressive performances by all players. The team scored an amazing 16 goals in 6 matches in the group stages alone. The semi-finals saw another great team performance which resulted in a 1-0 win beating Bowbrook House. Highclare then went on to win the final convincingly against Stafford Grammar beating them 2-0.The squad lifted the shield and became the U14 ISA Midland Champions 2014, a well-deserved title won by a great team!

Team: Daniel Hurst, Sami Hoq, Aaron Basi, Joseph Pemberton, Omid Mobed, Taleb Givans, Allistair Mukwende, Jack Walker, Jack Wiseman, Sami Ghafoor, Jubed Hoq, Kurtis Clarke, Ritchie Smith, Pavan Pahl.

Results U14 ISA Midlands Tournament 2014 – Tournament Winners Birmingham Cup Round 1 - Highclare v Heart of England– Lost 7 – 1 U14 Birmingham Schools Futsal Tournament – 3rd in Group ESSFA League – v Heartlands Academy U14 Football Squad: Daniel Hurst, Sami Hoq , Aaron Basi, Joseph Pemberton, Omid Mobed, Taleb Givans, Allistair Mukwende, Jack Walker, Jack Wiseman, Sami Ghafoor, Jubed Hoq, Kurtis Clarke, Ritchie Smith, Pavan Pahl.

U15 Football Results ESSFA League – Lost 5-4 v Cardinal Wiseman District Cup Game – Lost 4-2 v Edmund Campion ESSFA League – Won 5-4 v Hodge Hill ESSFA League – Drew 2-2 v Heartlands Academy ESSFA League – v Saltley League Cup Game – Lost 5-1 v St John Wall U15 Football Squad: Cameron Gregory , Daniel Hurst , Liam Harrison, Sami Hoq, Omid Mobed, Benjamin Bedwood, Thomas West, Noah Griffiths, Manraj Bhopari, Jack Flinders, Florent Grand, Saqib Hussain, Sami Ghafoor, Marcus Ray, Jack Walker, Pavan Pahl, Jubed Hoq. Girls Football Team Our combined Year 7, 8 and 9 girls’ team experienced their first tournament at the Girls Sutton Schools League. It was a great opportunity for the girls to get a real taste of competitive football where they finished 6th overall. Week on week the girls improved and they have a good foundation to build upon.

Results Sutton Girls League Week 2 v Plantsbrook – Lost 1-0 v North Birmingham Academy – Lost 2-1 v Arthur Terry – Drew 0-0 Sutton Girls League Week 4 v Sutton Girls – Lost 3-0 v Arthur Terry – Drew 0-0 Girls Football Squad: Caitlin O’Connor, Sommer-Mae Shaw, Niamh Pemberton, Katie Power, Betty Ansell, Charlotte O’Neill, Megan Ealing, Gabrielle Clarke, Ainara Zubialde, Tiffany Rowland-Lovatt, Kate Stephens, Olivia Smith-Pena, Jocelyn Thomas.

Junior Sports Results September – December 2014 Cross Country

Rugby

Hockey

Highclare Cross Country Race 1 - Bishop Walsh On a very autumnal day the sun low in the sky and a blustery wind making it feel chillier than it should have been Highclare faired very well on this flat quick course. Running into a strong wind the teams had to run hard and hope their stamina would maintain that speed until the end. It was encouraging to see so many debutants especially in the girl’s team. Everyone gave their all and represented the school with pride.

Team: Jack Newman, Rohan Sethi, Will Marrett, Joe de Waale, Louie Haigh, James Griffiths, Matthew Roberts, Toby Robinson, Lydia King, Hope Mckenzie, Torah Savant, Jasmine Smallwood, Daisy McGrath, Kate Gardner, Aimee Reid.

Cross Country- Bishop Vesey ‘As the going got tough, the tough got going’ as the saying goes and it was true of our Highclare Junior runners. The conditions weren’t great: wet, icy rain, muddy and therefore slippery underfoot. The course was arguably the most demanding too, in terms of distance and terrain. However, this did not deter our young runners who gave a very good team performance indeed.

Team: Lydia King, Hope Mckenzie, Torah Savant, Jasmine Smallwood, Alice Mason-Williams, Leah Smith Williams, Daisy McGrath, Aimee Reid, Jack Newman, Rohan Sethi, Will Marrett, Sam Harvey, Louie Haigh, James Griffiths, Matthew Roberts, Toby Robinson.

Sutton Schools Tag Rugby – U11, Bishop Vesey Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul's took two teams to play a tag rugby tournament at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School. The focus was very much on learning the basics of the game and working together as a team.

Both teams were resplendent in their new Kooga rugby tops and they played as well as they looked. The ‘A’ team had a wonderful start winning their first two matches in tremendous style. They were very unlucky to lose the next two but recovered to win the next match before losing out to the eventual winners of the tournament. Overall we finished a creditable 4th.

The ‘B’ team played with pace and vigour scoring many excellent tries in the process. Their reward was a place in the final where they narrowly lost.

However, they looked very proud as they left the pitch adorned with silver medals.

Mixed Hockey Tournament Year 5/6 at Wyndley - 6th November Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s competed well under the lights at Wyndley. They played well as a team and coped with the ‘squad rotation’ allowing them all an experience of playing competitive hockey. They were able to play in a variety of positions and gave an excellent overall performance. Highclare finished 2nd in their group of 5 winning two, drawing one and losing one. Well done. Team: James Griffiths, Matthew Roberts, William Simmons, Jack Newman, Will Marrett, Rohan Sethi, Nayomi Kanakaratna, Lizzie Pulley, Darcy Holland, Jess Davis.

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ISA Football U10 - 5 a side Tournament – Dixie Grammar School, Leicestershire (29th September) Mr Sneekes selected and accompanied a very strong and talented team for this annual ISA event at Dixie Grammar School.

Highclare competed very well in the tournament winning two and drawing one out of six matches. On the balance of play, Highclare could and should have finished in the top three or four but were unlucky in a couple of matches to concede late goals against the run of play. Out of the twelve competing schools Highclare finished 9th.

Team: Harry Stephens, Noah Southgate, Toby Robinson, Femi Olofinjana, Cyrus Rostami, Aamer Dilshad, Tom Hitchman, Joseph Wright.

U11 / U9 – 5 a side Regional Tournament, Moor Lane (14th October) Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s took two very good teams to compete in the ISA regional 5 a side tournament held at Moor Lane Birmingham, (Birmingham University). It was a very busy day which saw both teams play four group games – the Under 9s won all four of their games to finish top of their group.

The Under 11s played some fantastic football and eventually finished 3rd despite earlier beating the team who would go on to win the final. The Under 9s got to the final and lost out by the slightest of margins, 1-0. The attitude and style with which they played was a real credit to them and to the school.

Teams: Matthew Roberts, James Griffiths, David Balogh, Louie Haigh, Rohan Sethi, Joe de Waale, Joe Walford, Oscar Lugg, Sam Broome, Seb Jones, Seb Hoffman, Karam Johal.

Highclare v Foremarke Hall (3rd December 2014) Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul's played their first ever match against Foremarke Hall, (Repton Preparatory School) in Derbyshire in a friendly fixture. The two teams, A and B, played competitively and compactly showing excellent touches and passing and tackling well. The A team lost 8-4 showing a resoluteness and determination to get in the game each time Foremarke scored. The B team took the lead through a Subhaan strike and showed lots of commitment throughout. Their teamwork was excellent and in another day Highclare could have won the game.

ISA Netball

ISA Swimming Gala

‘High Fives’ Tournament – Stafford Preparatory School (2nd October) Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s enjoyed a fun-packed day competing in this very strong and competitive tournament at Stafford Preparatory School. The team was accompanied by their coaches Mrs Taylor and Miss Silver.

They played four games in total and although they did not record a victory they came close in their games with losing by slightest of margins. For many, it was the first time they had played competitively for Highclare and there are plenty of encouraging signs for the future. The girls were a credit to themselves and the school, well done to them all.

Team: Layla Wahid-Ashraf, Hope Mackenzie, Jessica Davis, Emilia Gomm, Scarlett Dunne, Lizzie Pulley, Paula Alonso, Darcy Holland, Kia Weekes.

Our Junior swimmers had a great day at the ISA Junior Swimming Gala at Walsall in November.

The U9 girls won their group overall an excellent achievement! Ruby and Liberty can be seen holding the trophy.

Senior Sports Results January – April 2015 Swimming

Cross-Country

ISA National Swimming Gala (London Jan 2015) Six senior Highclare pupils were selected to represent the Midlands at the ISA National Swimming Finals held at the Olympic Pool in London. Our swimmers collected a total of 3 gold and 9 silver medals between them. Their individual and relay successes contributed to the Midlands taking the double victory and winning both the overall boys and girls competitions.

Individual Successes Alexandra Bartley (Yr8) 2 gold and 2 silver medals Harriet Gordon (Yr 8) 1 gold and 1 silver medal Chloe Andrews (Yr 11) 2 silver medals Adin Kamangira (Yr 8) 2 silver medals Laura Richardson (Yr 11) 1 silver medal Timothy Beesley (Yr 8) 1 silver medal Team Results Girls (Year 4 – Year 13) Boys (Year 4 – Year 13) 1st Midlands 210 1st Midlands 217

ISA Midlands Cross-Country (Bedstone College Feb 2015) Our senior school cross-country runners ventured to Bedstone College in Shropshire for the annual Midlands ISA event. We all walked the tough, and in some places frozen course, in our wellies to prepare for the races later in the day. All 30 runners completed their respective races, with 5 finishing in the top 10 who now qualify to represent the Midlands at the Nationals on the 28th of February at Princethorpe College. We also came home with 3 individual medals and a team trophy. A good and successful day out!

This is a fitting reward for all the hard work the pupils put into their swimming training sessions. They are a real asset and credit to the school.

U14 Girls (2400m) – Team: Regional Winners 1st Georgia Platt, 7th Caitlin O’Connor, 11th Harriet Gordon, 18th Jocelyn Thomas, 36th Daisy Quirke, 49th Skye Langford-Brown, 57th Niamh Pemberton, 63rd Katie Power, 80th Ainara Zubialde Alonso, 87th Kate Stephens U14 Boys (2400m) – Team : 8th 31st Zach Andrews, 32nd Timothy Beesley, 34th Kharam Sandhar, 63rd Enric Aliberch, 71st Jeevan Degun, 83rd James Gibson, 96th Luke Dowling, 102nd Jorsh Johal, 106th Harry Mills, 110th Piers Robinson.

U16 Girls (3700m) 2nd Grace Stirland, 3rd Verity O’Shea, 44th Sophia Lesshafft, 48th Ellis Toyne, 50th Annabelle Farrington.

U16 Boys (4800m) 6th Daniel Hurst, 28th Kurtis Clarke, 51st Omid Mobed, 52nd Marcus Ray, 63rd Taleb Givans.

ISA National Cross-Country Finals (Princethorpe College Feb 2015) On Saturday 28th February, 5 senior Highclare pupils represented the Midlands at the National ISA cross-country event held at Princethorpe College. 7 regions were present with their top 10 regional finishers, meaning there were 60 -70 runners per race. The standard of the event was very high with electronic timing successfully used for the first time. Well done to all Highclare runners.

Individual Results U14 Girls (Year 7/8) Georgia Platt 6th Harriet Gordon 7th Team Results 1st London West 41th 2nd Midlands 76th

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U16 Girls (Year 9/10) Verity O’Shea 9th

U16 Boys (Year 9/10) Daniel Hurst 38th

1st Midlands 32nd

1st London West 1st 2nd Midlands 38th

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Senior Sports Results September – December 2014 Sportshall Athletics Year 7/8 Sutton Schools Sportshall Athletics (Arthur Terry Jan 2015) Year 7 Girls Team: - 6th out of 8 teams Jocelyn Thomas, Kate Stephens, Ainara Zubialde Alonso, Beaulah Johnson, Lily Arthurs, Destiny Roberts.

Year 8 Girls Team: - 4th out of 8 teams Caitlin O’Connor, Harriet Gordon, Katie Power, Niamh Pemberton, Rebekah Olatundun.

Year 7 Boys Team: - 6th out of 6 teams Jorsh Johal, Jeevan Degun, James Gibson, Stiliyan Petrov, Piers Robinson, Harry Mills.

Year 8 Boys Team: - 5th out of 5 teams Timothy Beesley, Zach Andrews, Kharam Sandhar, Adin Kamangira, Samuel Donaghue, Sebastian Michael, Enric Aliberch.

Hockey U13 Sutton Schools Hockey League (Wyndley Feb-Mar 2015) Our combined Year 7 and 8 teams entered into this 5 week league. Both teams improved steadily over the weeks producing some excellent individual play and team work. They all thoroughly enjoyed playing and will be able to build on these skills in the future. Well done to the five Year 10 Girls who have gained their Foundation Umpiring Awards.

Final Results: Girls Boys Finished 3rd out of 8 teams Finished 2nd out of 4 teams Played 10 matches Played 10 matches Won 6 & Lost 4 Won 5, Drew 2 & Lost 3 Girls Squad: Caitlin O’Connor, Charlotte O’Neill, Harriet Gordon, Katie Power, Niamh Pemberton, Rebecca Olatundun, Georgia Platt, Daisy Quirke, Alexandra Bartley, Annabella Kalavanas, Beaulah Johnson, Tiffany Rowland – Lovatt, Ainara Zubialde Alonso, Kate Stephens.

Boys Squad: Enric Aliberch, Zach Andrews, Kharam Sandhar, Sebastian Michael, Samuel Donaghue, Timothy Beesley, Joshua Pillinger, Jorsh Johal, Piers Robinson, Jeevan Degun, James Gibson, Haydar Baig, Stiliyan Petrov.

Umpires: Ellis Toyne, Verity O’Shea, Annabelle Farrington, Jamie Richards, Grace Stirland.

Netball

Football

U13 ISA Netball Tournament (St Dominics Mar 2015) The team made a convincing start to the tournament, by winning their first 3 games. Unfortunately, they narrowly lost their last 2 matches by a single goal on each occasion and were genuinely unlucky not to make the semi-finals by just 1 point!

Results Won 6 – 1 v St Edward’s Won 4 – 2 v Bedstone Won 5 – 1 v St Dominic’s Lost 5 – 6 v Heathfield Lost 3 – 4 v Dodderhill Well done the Year 7 and 8 girls who played some really impressive netball.

U13 Team: Rebekah Olatundun, Georgia Platt, Katie Power, Alexandra Bartley, Niamh Pemberton, Shannon Phagura, Beaulah Johnson, Ainara Zubialde Alonso.

U12 Football Results Friendly Fixture - Lost 4-1 v St Georges School Edgbaston ESSFA League - Lost 2-0 v Hodge Hill U12 Football Squad: William Dawson, Thierry Buffon, Piers Robinson, Stiliyan Petrov, Edward Williams, Jorsh Johal, Harry Mills, Sean Phagura, James Gibson, Abdul Awan, Suleman Iqbal, Jeevan Degun, Haydar Baig, Luke Dowling.

U12 & 13 Double Header Football Match vs. Hodge Hill The U12 & U13 football teams played another league fixture this term against Hodge Hill School. Both teams gave it their all and battled for the win with Hodge Hill winning one and drawing the other! Both the U12 & U13 teams have made massive improvements this season and have a great foundation to build upon for next season.

Results: U13 Highclare 2 – 2 St Georges U12 Highclare 0 – 2 St Georges U13 Football Results ESSFA League - Lost 5-2 v Washwood Heath ESSFA League - Drew 2-2 v Hodge Hill U13 Football Squad: Timothy Beesley, Sebastian Michael, Adin Kamangira, Zach Andrews, Kharam Sandhar, Enric Aliberch, Ibrahim Iqbal, William Dawson, Thierry Buffon, Piers Robinson, Stiliyan Petrov, Jorsh Johal, Abdul Awan, Suleman Iqbal, Jeevan Degun, Haydar Baig U14 Football Results ESSFA League – Lost 3-2 v Washwood Heath ESSFA League – won 3-2 v Hodge Hill U14 Football Squad: Daniel Hurst, Sami Hoq , Aaron Basi, Omid Mobed, Taleb Givans, Allistair Mukwende, Jack Walker, Jack Wiseman, Sami Ghafoor, Jubed Hoq, Kurtis Clarke, Ritchie Smith, Pavan Pahl, Marcus Ray U14 Football v Hodge Hill The U14 football team ended their season on a positive note with a great win over Hodge Hill yesterday. The conditions were very hard for both teams as a strong wind made it challenging to play. Highclare started strongly and went on to score 3 goals in the first half, Hodge Hill responded with 2 in the second half.

Results: Highclare 3 - Hodge Hill 2 Scorers: Sami Hoq 2, Kurtis Clarke 1 U15 Football match vs. St Georges School, Edgbaston The U15 produced a great win in their final match this season and again dominated from the start. They took the lead 10 minutes into the match with a goal from Thomas West. The boys then went on to play some brilliant football and another goal was scored by Thomas West later in the second half. A great season for the U15 squad, finishing second in their league. Well done boys!

Score: Highclare 2 - 0 St Georges School Scorers: Thomas West 2

U14 ISA Netball Tournament (St Dominics Mar 2015) Postponed due to bad weather.

U16 ISA Netball v Chase Grammar (Highclare Mar 2015) The U16 netball squad produced an outstanding performance against Chase Grammar in a friendly netball fixture hosted at Highclare. A convincing win with Highclare scoring 33 to Chase Grammar 2 in a 40 minute game. Well done to the Year 9, 10 and 11 girls who participated.

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Football

Rugby

U15 Football Results ESSFA League – Lost 4-2 v Washwood Heath

U13 ISA Rugby Tournament (Lucton, Mar 2015) On Wednesday 4th March the U13 rugby team competed in the ISA Rugby Tournament at Lucton School, Herefordshire. The standard was very high with some very strong schools to compete against; with each game the Highclare team became more confident and displayed some promising rugby. The boys finished 5th and a great experience was had by all the boys who took part.

U12 Rugby Squad: Timothy Beesley, Sebastian Michael, Adin Kamangira, Zach Andrews, Kharam Sandhar, Enric Aliberch, Joshua Pillinger, Samuel Donaghue, Harry Mills.

ESSFA League – Won 9-0 v Hodge Hill U15 Football Squad: Pavan Pal, Daniel Hurst, Sami Hoq, Omid Mobed, Benjamin Bedwood, Thomas West , Noah Griffiths, Manraj Bhopari, Jack Flinders, Sami Ghafoor, Jack Walker, Reuben Virdee Oakley, Max Monaghan.

U14 Rugby 7’s v St George’s School A brilliant effort from all players involved, the match was a great experience. The boys produced some very convincing tries taking an early lead, St Georges responded with some impressive play to lead at half time. In the second half Highclare played well and managed to tie the game up at 24 all.

Team: Omid Mobed, Daniel Hurst, Ritchie Smith, Jack Wiseman, Dylan Tulwar, Sami Hoq, Sami Ghafoor, Max Monaghan, Rueben Virdee Oakley.

U15 Rugby 7’s v St Georges School The U15 boys played their first competitive rugby 7’s match this year against a very strong St Georges team. Despite losing 32 – 0, the boys showed tremendous spirit and delivered some promising individual performances. The team continue to develop their rugby and look forward to future fixtures.

Team: Thomas West, Noah Griffiths, Ezra Hutchinson, Jack Flinders, James Southwick, Manraj Bhopari, Arondev Tulwar.

Junior Sports Results January - April 2015 Football ISA U11 Football Tournament (February 2015) On a cloudy morning the U11 Football team travelled to Repton School for an ISA Tournament. Seventeen teams were divided into 3 groups. Our 1st group game against Hereford Cathedral School was well balanced and both teams had chances to take the lead. In the end a lucky deflection gave Hereford the win, 0 - 1. Our 2nd group game against Grace Dieu Manor School followed a similar path, but in the end neither team could make the break through and the game ended 0 - 0. In Highclare School’s 3rd group game against King’s Hawford School, we had 2 great chances to open the scoring but the Worcester side hit us on the counter attack, winning 3 - 0. We knew that we had to win the next 2 games to stay in the competition. We gave ourselves that chance by first beating Edenhurst 2-0 and Witham Hall by 2-1 in the last game.

After an anxious wait we missed the quarters by a goal, but knew we had given it our very best shot. Well done to Matthew, Joe, Rohan, Louie, Joe, Jack, Junior, David, James and Arjun. R. Sneekes U11 ISA National Football Tournament (13th March 2015) The team travelled to Dixie Grammar School in Leicestershire for the ISA National Tournament. We only had a squad of 6 for this 5 a side competition, but they can look back and be very proud of their achievements. Highclare came second in their group, won 4 games, drew 2, scoring 6 and only conceding 1. They progressed to the cup final stages where Highclare won 1, drew 1 and lost 1 to finish joint 2nd in their group and joint 3rd overall out of a competition with 28 teams from all over England. Considering we finished 21st last year in the same competition, I think the development and improvement is there for all to see.

A magnificent effort from all concerned and keep the good work going. Team: David, Matthew, Louie, Rohan, Junior and Joe. R and G Sneekes Highclare v Denstone College Preparatory School (16th January 2015) Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul's footballers made the trip to Denstone College Preparatory School for the J6 and J5 football matches. On a cold afternoon, both teams showed that all their hard work from the last term is starting to pay off. They played some lovely combination football and both teams deserved their hard earned victories, with J6 running out as 0-8 winners and J5 with a 2-9 score line. The squads for the games were: U10: Noah, Harry, Sam, Toby, Femi, Tom, Joseph, Aamer. U11: Matthew, James, Louie, Rohan, Junior, Joe, Arjun, Joe, Jack.

Well done to all the boys! R. Sneekes Highclare v Foremarke Hall (3rd December 2014) Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St. Paul's played their first ever match against Foremarke Hall, (Repton Preparatory School) in Derbyshire in a friendly fixture. The two teams, A and B, played competitively and compactly showing excellent touches and passing and tackling well. The A team lost 8-4 showing a resoluteness and determination to get in the game each time Foremarke scored. The B team took the lead through a Subhaan strike and showed lots of commitment throughout. Their teamwork was excellent.

Teams: A: Harry, Noah, Femi, Sam, Joseph, Toby, Oscar, Sam. B: Aamer, Subhaan, Seb, Ryan, Thomas, Scott, Adam, Cyrus.

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Tag Rugby

Cross-Country

ISA U9 Tag Rugby Tournament (10th March 2015) Highclare Juniors took part in a superb tournament at Stafford Preparatory School. Tag rugby is a rugby development game which intends to introduce children to the concept of rugby without the physical element of tackling. Good handling, passing and running to gain ground are the basic skills learned as well as team endeavour and defending as a collective unit. Highclare improved as the tournament progressed recording their best result right at the end against St. Peter's School, Kettering winning 8-4. Well done to all who played.

Team: Sam, Oscar, Seb, Jack, Seb, Rohit, Ben, Josh

ISA Regional Cross-Country at Bedstone (4th February 2015) Highclare Juniors took part in a very competitive cross country meeting at Bedstone School in Shropshire. It was a typically cold day with firm ground conducive to good running and both the boys and girls achieved fantastically well to complete the 1800 metre course. All of our runners finished the course and the sense of satisfaction was felt by all at the end. The hot chocolate and cookie was welcome relief from the conditions.

Two runners in the boys’ team finished in the top ten making them eligible for the Midlands team at the end of the month. Congratulations therefore go to Rohan and Jack.

Special mention must also go to Daisy who finished 17th which is an excellent achievement for a J5 girl. In the Under 12s there were approximately 220 runners, so very well done to everybody.

Teams: Rohan - 8, Jack - 10, Louie - 21, Joe - 37, Toby - 40, Will - 47, Matthew - 71, James - 93 Daisy - 17, Kia - 37, Alice - 58, Aimee - 74, Hope - 95, Torah -113

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Netball J5 and J6 Netball at Abbots Bromley (3rd February 2015) Two teams played away at this very prestigious school. Both teams won against strong opposition with the same score of 5 - 3. J6 were level at half time at 2 - 2 but were more accurate with their shots in the second half. The J6 team showed huge improvement in form and the ‘set moves’ and procedures are starting to gain results. The J5 team played well and are certainly showing they are improving rapidly. They were ahead 3 - 1 at half time and then maintained the lead in the second half. Beating a school like Abbots Bromley (which is all girls) was a great morale booster and several girls have now joined Parkside Netball Club, with others sure to follow.

Teams: J6 - Emilia, Darcy, Scarlett, Jessica, Elizabeth, Kia, Paula and Isobel. J5 - Aimee, Hope, Layla, Leah, Mia, Madelyne, Amelie and Jasmine.

ISA U11 at St Dominic's School, Staffordshire (25th February 2015) Highclare girls represented the school well and enjoyed the experience of competing at St Dominic's. They won their group but lost in the quarter finals.

Highclare finished 7th overall.

U11 ISA Netball Tournament, Brewood (Feb 2014) Our J6 team played in their first competitive tournament and finished 4th in their group. They then played the two other 4th placed teams and narrowly lost to finish 12th overall.

Swimming Junior Sutton Schools' Swimming Gala On Saturday 31st January Highclare School Juniors took a swimming squad to Stechford Cascades to compete in the Sutton Schools' Swimming Gala.

Individuals competed in backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle as well as medley and freestyle relays. The children raced in heats with the final position being decided at the end. Highclare featured prominently in the top three positions in many of the events giving the team a strong chance of winning a team trophy at the end. There was much joy and jubilation when the organiser announce that Highclare had won three trophies: The Combined Overall Boys’ and Girls’ Trophy, the Overall Boys’ Trophy and the Combined Relay Runner-up. Their achievements are testament to the fine work the children do in and out of school and was fully deserved. As you would expect, the children represented the school well and we are all very proud of their success.

Swimming Squad: Ruby, Rosie, Bethany, Hope, Abbie, Torah, Lauren, Emilia, Lizzie, Edward, Jack, William, Jack.

Junior ISA Swimming Success Two junior and six senior Highclare pupils were selected to represent the Midlands at the ISA National Swimming Finals held at the Olympic Pool in London.

Our swimmers collected a total of 3 gold and 11 silver medals between them. Their individual and relay successes contributed to the Midlands taking the double victory and winning both the overall boys and girls competitions. Well done to them all.

Junior Sutton Schools Swimming Gala (Large Schools) Stechford, Feb 2014 Girls Competition - 4th Boys Competition - Winners Overall: Combined Boys & Girls - Winners The event was a tremendous success for Highclare as they claimed first place in the Boys’ competition and joint fourth in the Girls’ competition. This meant Highclare were the overall winners in the combined competition –an excellent achievement. There were many individual successes which all contributed towards the overall success.

ISA National Swimming Gala, Coventry (Feb 2014) Congratulations to the 8 Highclare swimmers who represented the Midlands at this Level 3 event. All of our swimmers did themselves proud and helped the Midlands to overall victory in both the Senior and Junior competitions. Every swimmer came home with at least one medal and between them gained a total of 15 medals!

Congratulations to Harrison, (J6) who won a gold medal.

Junior Sports Results January - April 2015 Triathlon

Athletics

ISA Midlands Triathlon (Lucton School, April 2015) Highclare competed at the ISA National Triathlon Event at Lucton School. Highclare senior pupils performed well individually in their respective age groups.

Results Girls – team finished 4th Boys – team finished 4th ISA Senior Championships (Alexander Stadium, May 2015) Year 7 Girls 11th Year 7 Boys 5th Year 8/9 Girls 1st Year 8/9 Boys 2nd Overall Girls 7th Overall Boys 7th (20 Girls teams) (14 Boys teams) The following athletes qualified and were selected to represent the Midlands at the ISA Nationals: Jenny Hopkinson – 100m and 200m Ahmed Nadeem – High Jump Daniel Hurst – 1500m Harriet Gordon – 1500m Georgia Platt – 800m Year 8/9 Girls relay team – Katie Power, Megan Ealing, Georgia Platt, Jenny Hopkinson

Sutton KS3 Championships (Wyndley, June 2015) 8 schools Year 7 Girls 6th Year 7 Boys 7th Year 8 Girls 1st Year 8 Boys 5th Year 9 Girls 3rd Year 9 Boys 3rd By winning the event, the Year 8 girls’ team have qualified for the Super Sixes Athletics at the Birmingham Summer Games at the Alexander Stadium.

West Midlands Championships (Alexander Stadium, June 2015) Two girls were selected to represent North Birmingham at the West Midlands Athletics Championships on Saturday 13th of June.

Harriet Gordon finished 9th in the 1500m Verity O’Shea 4th in the 800m and 4th in the long jump ISA National Championships (Alexander Stadium, June 2015) Harriet Gordon- 9th in the 1500m, Jenny Hopkinson- 2nd in the 100m and 2nd in the 200m, Daniel Hurst - 6th in the 1500m, Georgia Platt 10th in the 800m and Ahmed Nadeem - 7 th in the High Jump Year 8/9 Girls relay team – 4th Birmingham Summer Games – Super Sixes Athletics (Alexander Stadium, June 2015)

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Cricket U13 v Bishop Walsh (Bishop Walsh School, June 2015) Our combined Year 7 and 8 boys’ team played a friendly cricket match against Bishop Walsh School. We won the toss and elected to bowl first, with Bishop Walsh scoring 85 for 3 off their allotted 16 overs. Bishop Walsh bowled extremely well taking wickets nearly every over resulting in Highclare all out for 25 runs. We look forward to a more competitive return match in 2 weeks.

U13 v Bishop Walsh (Bishop Walsh School, June 2015) In our return match against Bishop Walsh, we once again won the toss and elected to bowl. Despite more accurate bowling from Highclare, Bishop Walsh opening batsmen took advantage of fewer fielders and freely scored runs. After 12 overs they finished on 97 for 4 with Tim having the best figures of 3 overs, 2 wickets for 20 runs. Highclare unfortunately lost a wicket in the first over to a very good bowler and they went on to restrict us to 69 for 3. A good partnership between Tim (15 not out) and Jeevan (10 not out) helped us to a much better score than last time in 4 less overs.

U14 v Stockland Green (Stockland Green School, June 2015) Our Year 9 team played a friendly cricket fixture against Stockland Green, the match was played indoors using a modified pairs/indoor cricket scoring system. Highclare won the toss and chose to bat first, all pairs batted well. Highclare displayed some very impressive bowling taking 9 wickets in total along with a few good catches. Stockland Green had some very strong batters and ended up winning the match by 3 runs, a good fixture between the two schools.

U13 v Stockland Green (Stockland Green School, June 2015) The Highclare U13 team played their third friendly match this term against Stockland Green. The match was played indoors using a modified pairs/indoor cricket scoring system. Despite some very strong bowling from Stockland Green and a number of wickets being taken, the Highclare team produced some impressive batting skills. Stockland Green's batsmen took advantage of fewer fielders and freely scored runs. As the match progressed, Highclare started to display some accurate bowling and some great catches were taken. In the last over Highclare took 4 wickets and tightened the gap up between the scores. The boys from both schools displayed some great cricket.

Softball U14 Sutton Schools Tournament (Bishop Walsh School, June 2015) The tournament included 5 schools from around the Sutton area, with 2 mini leagues being played. Highclare won their first match 18-10 against Bishop Walsh, they then went on to draw 14-14 with Fairfax. The Highclare boys won their league and went into the final against Arthur Terry where they emerged victorious with a convincing 14-8 win.

U15 v Arthur Terry (Arthur Terry, June 2015) The Highclare Year 10 softball team played their first friendly match this term against Arthur Terry. Highclare lost the first innings 13 - 10, but won the second innings convincingly 10 - 4. This resulted in an overall win of 20 - 17 Highclare. Some great batting and fielding performances from all the boys involved and we look forward to the rematch next year.

Junior Sports Results April - July 2015 J2 Football J2 at Highclare St Paul's first school football game took place against Marsh Hill, who have previously played our J2 Highclare Woodfield team. The weather was blustery but conditions improved for the 15 mins each way game. The pupils absolutely loved the game and gave a very good account of themselves. They were 0-2 behind at half time and after scoring straight after the restart, they put the pressure on our strong opponents, only to concede 2 more goals. The end result was 1-4 but the children played some good football. They can look back at a very successful first game for their school.

Well done to William, Joshua (1), Harry, Rehan, Vincent, Eleanor and Liam.

R. Sneekes

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ISA Kwik Cricket Tournament at Moddershall Cricket Club Staffordshire Highclare took part in the 12th ISA Midlands U11 Kwik Cricket Tournament.

The boys played three group matches winning the first against Lucton School 262 to 234, losing the second against Chase Grammar 257-239 and drawing the last game against Ruckleigh. In the third game against Ruckleigh it was a frantic and tense affair with advantage switching between sides right until the final over. Runs were tied on 240 each with the result going in favour of Ruckleigh due to the fact they took 6 wickets compared to Highclare's 4.

Highclare played out 5/6th place against St. Dominic's Priory, Stone and won the game 286 to 253. Ruckleigh, whom we narrowly lost to in the final group game, won the overall tournament. The boys learned that sport often comes down to narrow margins and the fact that they narrowly lost out to the overall winners gave them a confidence boost. The boys can be very proud of the efforts on the day. They played well, improved throughout the tournament and worked as a team. It was a pleasure to be a part of their success and the whole day was excellent. Well done to all.

ISA 20/20 Hard Ball Tournament at Crackley Hall Highclare participated in a newly organised 20/20 format based on 5 overs and with a team comprising only 6 players.

Highclare lost the first game against the hosts Crackley Hall 38-22. Our team won the second game against Airthrie by 5 wickets 36-35 gaining us a place in the final of the tournament, where we lost by 5 wickets to Grantham Preparatory School. It was an excellent event which benefited the boys’ tearn, not only through playing matches but also through the different coaching sessions provided between the matches. The Highclare team were runners up in the tournament, a great achievement and the boys were proud to leave the pitch wearing their silver medals around their necks. Well done to all who took part.

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Senior Football Squads get a new Team Kit Rodor Lettings – established lettings agents in Erdington, are proud to be the sponsors for the School’s new team kits for both boys and girls.

Highclare School fields football teams for all age groups for boys, and recently started a combined Year 7, 8 & 9 girls’ team, who are now playing in the Girls Sutton Schools League. To have a dedicated team kit can only enhance their chances of success in local football leagues.

Juniors launch their new Football Kit Highclare School’s Junior footballers were thrilled to show off their new kit in readiness for next season.

Sporting Success outside school Highclare student selected to represent England in Karate Congratulations to our talented U4 student, Taleb, who has been selected to represent England as part of the Traditional Karate Squad in the WKA/WTKA World Championships in Italy at the end of this month. Taleb is a member of the Zen-Shin Black Belt Academy.

Taleb's class have held a successful cake sale and raised £50 to help him with his trip to Italy.

Synchronised Swimming Champion Congratulations to Maddie in the U5, who participated in the National Synchronised Swimming Championships.

Maddie and her team came first. They swam against 16 other teams from all over the country. Well done, Maddie.

Gymnastic Success L4 student Raekwon has been selected for the Elite Performance Squad 2015 (Men’s Artistic).

Raekwon competed in Glasgow in December and obtained a Silver medal for his Ring routine. A great achievement, well done.

Alex trains during the summer holiday Alex Bartley in L4 has had a very successful year in the pool and gained national success at the Independent School’s Swimming Gala. During the summer she has attended both ASA Swimming British and the English Nationals. She qualified in 7 events and made 4 national finals, coming a close 4th in the 400 freestyle and 200 IM. Many congratulations Alex, and well done for all the effort you put into your swimming success.

Wimbledon 2015 A lucky group of tennis enthusiasts set off to London at 8am on Thursday 2nd July. They looked forward to watching the tennis stars on the grass courts. The school managed to get 2 Centre Court and 10 Court 1 tickets. The first match of the day was Murray vs Haase on Court 1 where Murray managed to win in three straight sets producing some outstanding shots. All ten pupils watched this exciting game whilst Miss Harvey and Mrs de Sousa-Bartlett “kindly” agreed to watch the Kvitova vs Nara game on Centre Court!

A brilliant day was had by all and most brought back some Wimbledon memorabilia. Additionally, between them 10 boys managed to eat something from every food stand !

Overall it was an incredible day watching Murray, Federer, Nadal, Brown and Tsonga.

We would like to thank the staff for putting up with us during this long exciting day at the Wimbledon Championships.

Daniel Hurst U4

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Retiring Head Prefect, Sophie-Jayne Bridgens Over the past year I have held the role of head prefect which I have thoroughly enjoyed and hope that I have been approachable and been of use to at least one of you during the past year. When I took up the role I wanted to work with the senior management team to get the school to embrace twitter and Facebook which has been achieved and is up and running very successfully. I feel proud that an idea which I had about something that could benefit the school has actually materialised and is going from strength to strength.

Throughout the year I have done various other activities such as directing the WIFI GAMES panto, which as a sixth form we enjoyed and hope you did to, although I now appreciate how much work it takes to put on a drama production. Meeting and working with our MP Jack Dromey and being involved with his launch of the Erdington Youth Manifesto was an experience that I again am very proud to have been a part of and feel that it has improve skills such as teamwork and my knowledge of politics.

In the sixth form I have also been involved in several charity events that we have carried out, most memorably the sponsored silence that Fran and I took on which was a very challenging but rewarding experience as we raised over £270 for our school charity, SSAFA. We both would like to thank everyone that sponsored and supported us.

As head prefect, attending school council meetings has been one of my responsibilities which I have shared along with Jess and I think that I can speak on both of our behalf’s and say that we have greatly enjoyed this and it has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and passion of the council members and we will never forget some of the more memorable fundraising ideas that have been suggested.

Over the year I have put a lot of effort into the role of head prefect because I wanted to make a difference to the school and make you, the pupils feel that we do take your ideas on board. I have got so much out of this role gaining skills that I know will help me when I get to university in September. I would like to thank all the support that I have been given over the year and wish your new head prefect Sophie all the best for the next year and hope you enjoy the experience as much as I have.

Thank you Sophie-Jayne Bridgens

Head Prefect 2015 – 2016, Sophie Hurst My name is Sophie Hurst and I have been chosen as the new Head Prefect of Highclare School. Firstly, I would like to say how excited I am about accepting this position. I’ll be taking over the role from Sophie-Jayne and I’d like to thank her for the hard work she has done. Sophie-Jayne has been an excellent role model and I have learnt a lot from her whilst being a member of the lower Sixth Form this year.

I will be working closely with Dr Luker and the senior management team to continue to move the school forward and of course my deputy Amy. My aims throughout the year amongst others will be developing the house point system and improving communication between staff and pupils. There has also been a lot of focus this week on the presentation of work and likewise the way we present our school to visitors is equally as important. One of the announcements made every week in assembly are the room points. Organisation and tidiness helps us to achieve and we will not only be looking at the classrooms but also the cloak rooms and corridors so that we always maintain a professional appearance.

The sixth from will be working as a team and my colleagues and I will be getting involved throughout the school. Hopefully, pupils will all have the chance of getting to know us better and I will make sure that I make regular visits, at form time for example, to hear pupils’ opinions and ideas.

I am very proud of Highclare School and I intend to make the very best of my final year to fulfil my role as Head Prefect to the best of my ability.

Sophie Hurst

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

TOPS

Autumn

The October Half Term in TOPS was full of spooky Halloween surprises! At the beginning of the week, the pupils focused on autumn, making wreathes and cooking autumn vegetable soup, which turned out to be extremely tasty.

Towards the end of the week, staff and pupils designed and carved pumpkins, creating various amusing faces! The children designed scarecrow puppets, made chocolate apples and ‘Cobweb’ cake pops! On Friday 31st October, we celebrated the day with a Halloween tea party. The children came to school dressed up. In the morning there was face painting and the children played lots of Halloween games including ‘pass the pumpkin’ and ‘what’s the time, wicked witch?’ In the afternoon they enjoyed a Halloween tea party and a disco where the children danced around to their favourite songs.

Christmas Fun

For the annual TOPS Christmas party this year we had entertainer ‘Dippy the Clown’.

He performed a fantastic Christmas Clown show which included silly jokes, tricks and magic. Dippy even got some of the children up on stage! TOPS children had a party buffet for tea and played lots of party games which included prizes. A Christmas disco brought this lovely party day to an end.

TOPS children enjoyed making chocolate reindeer, gingerbread houses, a 3D wooden reindeer, peppermint creams, Christmas crafts and we even had a mince pie bake-off!

It was so much fun throughout Christmas!

Spring During half term, ‘TROPICAL INC.COM’ visited TOPS holiday scheme! They brought a wide variety of animals including meerkats, lizards, pythons, tarantulas, desert hedgehogs, toads, skunks, scorpions and parrots!

TOPS children learned about the animals and were able to hold some of them! They really enjoyed the experience and we hope to have ‘TROPICAL INC.COM’ visit us again.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Easter

The ‘chocolate’ theme during the Easter holiday scheme was very popular! It included ‘chocolate nest’ making, a chocolate Easter egg hunt and lots more Easter crafts. We had a visit from a Punch and Judy show and we also had a bouncy castle for a whole day!

TOPS children also had a special visit from Elsa and Olaf from the film ‘Frozen’. They had photos taken with the children and did lots of dancing and singing. It was definitely a visit that we will all remember!

During the May half term the TOPS children enjoyed a dance workshop and lots of sporting and creative activities.

Summer

A trip to Gulliver’s Kingdom and lots of fun in the sun!

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Inspection Success

In the Autumn Term, Highclare School was the subject of a rigorous routine inspection, carried out by ISI, the independent schools’ inspection body and focussed on the whole school.

The inspectors initially checked for regulatory compliance and then spent time forming judgements on the quality of provision. The focus as always was on things like Teaching, curriculum, Leadership, Pastoral Care and Pupil Personal Development.

All seven aspects under review were judged to be Good, whilst three were deemed to be Excellent, the highest category achievable.

In the Early Years (Pre-School) the inspectors rated the overall quality and standards of the provision to be OUTSTANDING, again the highest category achievable in this area.

Some of the comments taken from the report appear below: “The school is successful in meeting its aim to motivate pupils to achieve their all-round potential”.

“The high standards identified at the previous inspection have been maintained and successfully reflect the school’s aim to help pupils develop self-respect and self-discipline, alongside tolerance and respect for others and the environment”.

“Their personal development is outstanding. Pupils leave the school extremely well equipped to become valuable citizens in the future”.

Head, Dr Richard Luker, was delighted that the school received such a strong report and commented: “This is confirmation that the School is highly successful in meeting its aims to motivate pupils to achieve their all-round potential – something we believe to be very important. I am proud that the high quality of provision on offer at Highclare School has been validated by such a prestigious body as the ISI”.

The full report, is now available on the school website www.highclareschool.co.uk/results/inspection

Highclare and the new VLE During this year the new VLE has been introduced to both students and parents. This exciting addition to the school systems allows staff and pupils to work remotely and to access a wealth of information about the school. Staff can share best practices and everyone can share information. Alongside this we have also seen the introduction of our own Facebook page and a series of departmental Twitter accounts, all aimed at using the latest technology to keep the whole Highclare School community in touch!

(You may even be reading this new edition of The Highclarian on our website!)

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Camo Day 26th June 2015

Our summer activity day was given a new look this year in the form of our Camo Day, which as well as challenging pupils to new activities also raised money for our charity SSAFA. All three sites joined in “Camo Day�, which was a nationwide event, organised in by the charity. All the children and staff took part in a non-uniform day coming to school in camo for the day and taking part in various activities. The senior school were put through their paces by Birmingham

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Military Fitness who organised an assault course and house competitions. Both junior sites enjoyed throwing wet sponges at the staff in the stocks and being put through their paces with fitness routines

by Stephen King from SSAFA, before a session on the inflatable assault course. Cake sales and

various competitions took place alongside this to raise extra funds. We wish to say thank you to the parents at both junior schools who ran the afternoon tea provided for parents to enjoy a cup of tea and cake before collecting their children.

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

PTA The PTA Bonfire Night at Highclare St Paul’s on 5th November was hugely successful.

Thank you to the PTA who donated £200 each to Highclare St Paul’s and Highclare Woodfield.

The school council have spent the money on playground equipment.

The PTA Christmas Fayre The PTA held a traditional Christmas Fayre at the Senior School with a visit from Father Christmas.

The Circus comes to Highclare School Highclare Woodfield site was chosen to host the Big Top. Parents, children and friends of the School enjoyed watching the juggling and magic tricks. A fantastic pig roast and refreshments completed a superb afternoon of family entertainment. Thanks again to all the parents who helped make this a success.

Thanks to the PTA It has been a busy time for the PTA and as always we are very grateful for their generosity in providing some fabulous new equipment on all 3 Highclare sites. Items included this lovely adventure playground equipment, samba musical instruments, stage sound and lighting equipment, photography equipment, TV screens in each reception area, mobile sound equipment and data projector and speakers.

Thank you to anyone who has attended any of the lovely fund raising events this year.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Launch of the Junior Art Competition In Spring 2015 pupils from many of the local junior schools were invited to register for the first ever Highclare Junior Art Competition, ably organised by Mrs Hughes, Head of Senior Art. The competition gave pupils from Reception to Year 6 an opportunity to showcase their artistic talents in a range of media. The competition was extremely popular and entries were received from a variety of different schools within Sutton Coldfield and Erdington, including Abbey RC Primary, Little Sutton Primary, Maney Hill and Whitehouse Common.

The overall winner was Phao Taylor, aged 7 years, from Little Sutton Primary School, and she was presented with her trophy and prize by Dr Luker, Head of Highclare School. A very enjoyable Awards & Prize Giving evening was held in the Art Department in June when all the entrants and their parents were invited to the school to view the winning artwork, alongside the A level exhibition of work from Highclare students.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Taster Days in Senior School J4 students from Highclare’s Junior Schools really enjoyed their days in the Senior School. They experienced some whacky experiments in the Science Labs and made their own biscuits in the HE Department, (with the obligatory ‘taste testing’ at the end of their day!)

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Senior Sports Day Results 2015 Lancaster

Tudor

York

Middle School Standards Senior School Standards

249 96 336 144

348 115 307 158

300 105 285 153

Overall

825

928

843

U3

L4

Victrix Ludorum

Victor Ludorum

Skye Langford-Brown 38

Jeevan Degun

35

Kate Stephens

37

James Gibson

35

Jocelyn Thomas

34

Harry Mills

34

Victrix Ludorum Katie Power

U4

L5

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Victor Ludorum 36

Timothy Beesley

37

Rebekah Olatundun 31

Zach Andrews

37

Shannon Phagura

Samuel Donaghue

31

30

Victrix Ludorum

Victor Ludorum

Jenny Hopkinson

38

Kurtis Clarke

37

Megan Ealing

35

Joseph Pemberton

36

Marika Fraser-Ryan

25

Daniel Hurst

35

Victor Ludorum

Victrix Ludorum Verity O’Shea

40

Thomas West

37

Grace Stirland

30

Noah Griffiths

35

Emma Bandegiati

30

Manraj Bhopari

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Staff matters Happy Retirement to Mrs Linda Jude Head of Highclare Woodfield At Christmas, parents, teachers and pupils from Pre-School to the Juniors, said their farewell to Mrs Linda Jude, Head of Highclare Woodfield, who retired after 27 years at the school. Mrs Jude has made a huge contribution to the development of the school over many years and especially to the developments in bringing boys and girls from 15 months to 11 years to Highclare Woodfield, on Birmingham Road, Mrs Louise Morgan, Acting Head at Highclare Woodfield, said “Mrs Jude’s legacy will certainly move on at Highclare. She has seen the school go through so many changes throughout the years. As the Junior Department now has its J6 year, she felt this to be an appropriate time to move on. We will certainly miss her but she is always welcome to visit us for a cup of tea! “

During the year we have said Goodbye to: Antcliff Armshaw Atkins Baker Ball Barnes Bellshaw Birchall Bond Cain Cairns Carley Cook

Claire Annette Kim Janet Kieran Rebecca Marian Maggie Rebecca Rebecca Claire Carole Susan

Dillon Downing Duke Dyal Edwards Gillis Hitchman Hitchman Hobbs Kaur Kumari McGovern McLoughlin

Welcome to staff who

joined this year Mrs A McGoldrick Mrs C Moulard Mr A Crowe Mr S Parkinson Miss J Waplington Miss K Gough

Melanie Joanna Sarah Diane Sarah Letitia Neil Debra Jayne Harjit Raj Barbara Joan

Moger Neville Lindley Nixon Owen Payne Read Siviter Sparkes Tate Unsworth Walker White

Susan Anna Nicola Margaret Alison Sarah David Jade Linda Verity Julie Philip Stephanie

Welcome to our new staff in September 2015 Mrs

Bate

Helen

Mrs

Bennett

Polly

Mrs

Brownridge Joanne

Mrs

Darby

Helen

Mrs

Darke

Alice

Mrs

Green

Aimee

Miss Hull

Sophie

Miss Maglie

Maria

Mrs

Mitchell

Pamela

Mrs

Moulard

Christine

Mrs

Sahota

Ravinder

Mrs

Saville

Sally

Mrs

Titley

Danielle

Mrs

Walters

Louise 49

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Catering Success In the summer our on-site catering company Wilson Vale and their team at Highclare Woodfield were honoured with an award. The Wilson Vale operation scored top marks in a food safety audit. The catering team led by chef manager, Lynette Taylor achieved the highest score out of 44 Wilson Vale catering operations assessed over a twelve month period. Ian Marriner, an independent environmental health consultant, assessed the catering operation on every aspect of the service, from management systems to training, temperature control, cleaning and contamination risk. Lynette was presented with the award amidst press and publicity after lunch time service and the children were quick to congratulate her.

Well done to all our Wilson Vale colleagues who not only provide us with great food every day but support us on all our special events, including Open Days and Sports Days.

Photo shows Madelyne Kennedy & Torah Savant with Lynette Taylor

Congratulations to our Speech & Drama Teacher - Ashley Hall Ashley Hall was honoured to receive the British Empire Medal in January this year for her work raising more than ÂŁ150,000 for Rocklands School in Lichfield and children with special needs. Ashley, who not only works at Highclare School, but is also a past pupil herself, volunteered at Rocklands School whilst her son attended. The money was used to provide an outside classroom and a new garden and cycle trail, specifically adapted for the children.

Welcome During the year some changes were made to the Business support given at the school, with the appointment of Mrs Anne McGoldrick as Business Manager.

She takes over the organisation of the Accounts, Transport, Maintenance and Human Resources for the school. We welcome her to the leadership team and congratulate her on receiving her MSc in Educational Leadership and Management.

Examination Success Well done to other staff members whose continued study this year earned them success

Transport Our transport department continued to give a great service in making sure that children were delivered to school safely and transported on their trips. Our team of mini bus drivers always looking smart !

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Mel Sharman who has gained an MA in Education.

Alison Anderton from Pre School1 who has passed her BA Hons Degree.

A Highclare Wedding A Highclare celebration took place in the spring with the Wedding of child hood sweethearts who met each other in our Pre-School originally.

At that time boys were only educated here until the age of 7 and they went their separate ways, although Rebecca stayed at Highclare through to Sixth Form. However, they met again and went to the same University. We congratulate Rebecca Soen and Nick Watson, who plan to make a new life in London.

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2014-15

Examination Results 2015 A Level Overall 100 % pass rate at A2 25% at A* - A grades 63% at A* - B grades 78% at A* - C grades 100% pass rate for students taking the equivalent of 3 or more subjects and gaining A* to D

'AS' Level Overall 90 % pass rate at AS Our Sixth Form students celebrated their excellent results and personal achievements when they received their examination results. This gave rise to a further celebration as they were able to confirm their entries to a variety of universities such as Holly Monaghan, who got into Aston University to study Business Management, Sophie-Jayne Bridgens, who will read Electronic Engineering at York, and Francesca Wood, who will be studying Television and Film Set Design at the University of South Wales.

Dr Luker said that he was delighted with the results. “They have come about because of a huge amount of hard work on the part of the students and teachers. Congratulations to them all. A special ‘Congratulations’ to Maya Shrestha and Harriett Ackers who can both list one A* grade and 2 A grades amongst their achievements”.

GCSE 100% pass rate overall 97% of students gaining 5 or more A* to C grades 94% at A* - C grades 77% at A*, A and B grades 43% at A* & A grades 85 % A* to C grades including English & Maths

Congratulations to our U5 students who gained some excellent GCSE results.

Some students gained the coveted A* or A grade in all subjects, notably, Tasmin Toor and Bethany Khan who both gained 11 A* & A grades each.

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

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Highclare School Achieving Individual Excellence

245 Birmingham Road Sutton Coldfield B72 1EA Tel: 0121 355 0194

10 Sutton Road, Erdington B23 6QL www.highclareschool.co.uk abbey@highclareschool.co.uk Tel 0121 373 7400 Fax 0121 373 7445

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