From salsa dancing to cake baking and dressing up in festive jumpers - our students and staff have well and truly thrown their weight behind this year’s charity drive to support young people suffering with cancer.

And now, as Highfields prepares for more fun-filled activities and events to boost the charity coffers, we can reveal that we’ve already raised (drum roll…) £1,471.55 for Teenage Cancer Trust.

A number of events have helped to raise money for the charity since the start of the school year, including the Autumn Festival, Lower School Disco, Cake Sale, Christmas Jumper Day, Christmas Concert & Craft Fair and Strictly Dance Challenge, which saw students and staff strutting their salsa moves in a lunchtime dance-off.

Lisa Corbett, Community Engagement Officer, said: “The students and staff have shown a great charity spirit and have really given their full support to the fundraising drive.

“It is wonderful that we have already raised so much for this incredibly worthy cause and we look forward to hosting even more fundraising events and activities over the coming months to boost our charity fund even more."

Teenage Cancer Trust supports young people battling cancer and was catapulted into the attention of millions of people across the world thanks to the efforts of inspirational Staffordshire teenager Stephen Sutton.

Stephen chronicled his battle with bowel cancer - and the enormous help and support the charity had given him - before his death in May 2014 at the age of 19. Stephen’s ‘Thumbs Up’ campaign won the praise of superstars, comedians and high-profile politicians including Prime Minister David Cameron, with his efforts helping to raise £5.5 million for the charity that supported him throughout this illness.