Ellie wins place at prestigious UWC Atlantic College

UWC Atlantic College in Wales

Talented Year 11 student Eleanor White has accepted an offer to study for an International Baccalaureate at the globally-renowned UWC Atlantic College.

Located in Wales, UWC Atlantic was the first of the United World Colleges and among the first educational institutions in the world to follow an international curriculum. It is known for its liberal, progressive and radical education, its   global ethos and strong focus on local and global sustainability.

Eleanor said she was inspired by the values of Atlantic College - which works to ‘make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future’ and to ‘provide a platform for young individuals to learn through shared experience and be empowered to make a positive difference’ - as they chime with her own beliefs, formed through her family and school.

Eleanor - known as Ellie - is delighted to have been awarded a place and said she wanted to work in a prejudice-free world, which values differences and sees them as a strength in any community. She said she was looking forward to challenging herself and making a difference whilst keeping compassion and integrity central to her lifestyle.

History teacher, Mrs C Hall, said: “Ellie clearly came across very well in the gruelling 24 hours of interviews, team challenges and presentations involved in the selection process to prove why she deserved a place.”

UWC Atlantic College, located in the Vale of Glamorgan, was founded in 1962 and is attended by around 350 students from more than 90 countries. As well as the International Baccalaureate curriculum, the college puts a strong emphasis on student participation in the community.

Well done Ellie! We are really sorry to lose you, but are very proud of your success and wish you well in the future. Make sure you keep in touch to tell us all about your experiences.

Swaziland adventure to put team to the test

Whilst most will choose to spend their summer holidays relaxing after a tough school year - a group of students and staff from Highfields are preparing for a life-changing trip to Swaziland for a mission of self exploration and community work which will challenge their mental and physical strength.

Twelve students and three members of staff will be travelling to the small African kingdom for the intensive two-week expedition in July 2017.

Our students have chosen the destination and will be involved with all elements of planning and decision-making for their African adventure, which aims to improve their teamwork and leadership skills, help them to become more globally aware, boost their confidence and self-esteem and enhance their employment prospects.

As well as an acclimatisation period, which will see students introduced to the local produce available and tasked with funding, planning and preparing a menu to feed the whole team during their time away, a huge focus of the trip will be a six-day community project. 

This important phase of the trip will give them the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the community and is likely to involve working with a local school on a range of tasks including painting, construction, teaching and running sports matches whilst learning about the conservation of precious water resources and basic sanitation at the same time as developing global citizenship skills through facing the challenges of living and working in the developing world.

The team will then embark on a 4/5-day expedition on a route of the students’ choosing to give them a chance to experience Swaziland’s stunning natural beauty before a two-day rest and relaxation period which is likely to be at the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary surrounded by zebras, warthogs, antelope, hippos, crocodiles and birds. 

Our students have already hosted a number of fundraising events to bring in the thousands of pounds needed to make the trip possible, including selling pancakes and hosting a raffle for the audiences of the school’s production of Our House. They are also planning to a run a number of other events to raise money for the trip over the coming months including hosting a quiz night, disco and cake sales as well as washing cars and busking in school and in the local community.

Highfields’ Community Engagement Officer Lisa Corbett, who will be accompanying students on the trip along with two other staff members - Wayne Harrison and Emma Fisher - said that the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the team.

“The students have been in charge of the planning of all elements of the trip,” she said. “They chose the destination based on a number of factors, including the fact that it is somewhere they would not normally have access to and it will provide a number of challenges and a real opportunity for them to make a difference to a local community in Swaziland.

“We are already working on our fitness as we have to reach a certain level to be able to go on the trip. It is exciting that the preparations are now really under way and the students have already started with their fundraising to make the trip possible.

“It is certainly not just a holiday, and will really test us but it will be a great opportunity for our students to boost their teamwork and leadership skills and enhance their CVs to improve their future opportunities. This really will be a life-changing experience for us all.”

The trip is being organised in conjunction with World Challenge, a leading organisation behind life-changing school expeditions, which provides 24-hour support and expertise for educational trips abroad.

Students are now hoping to forge links with local businesses to raise sponsorship money for their expedition.

*Photographs courtesy of World Challenge

Students prepare to celebrate World Book Day

Fairytales will be brought to life when students and staff dress as their favourite fictional characters to celebrate World Book Day.

The event is a celebration of books, authors, illustrators and reading and aims to ignite imaginations and help students gain a life-long passion for reading.

Characters from Harry Potter, Willy Wonka, The Gruffly, Alice in Wonderland will be brought to life to transform Highfields’ corridors as part of the celebrations on Thursday. (March 3)

The school is hosting a Book Fair at break and lunchtime on the Communications Floor in the run-up to the event, with a wide range of books available for students to buy and order.

Out-of-this-world trip for students

Students enjoyed an experience that was out of this world during a visit to The National Space Centre.

Around 100 students from Year 7 were encouraged to reach for the stars when they visited the popular tourist attraction in Leicester as part of their science studies.

As part of their day they watched a film in the centre's Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium to learn what it takes to be an astronaut, including the changes in the human body during take off, the intense training involved and the dangers of being in space.

Dr S. Taylor, who organised the trip, said: “The National Space Centre is a wonderful venue that really brings science to life and our students had a great time learning more about space by looking around the many interesting galleries and exhibitions.

“With all of the publicity surrounding British astronaut Tim Peak’s expedition to the International Space Station, space exploration is currently at the forefront of people’s minds so it was a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn more about it."

The striking £52 million National Space Centre was opened in 2001 and is run as an educational charity to offer science workshops for schools.

The centre has six main galleries of exhibits and visitor activities covering space flight, astronomy and cosmology and has on display one of the only known Soyuz spacecraft in western Europe.

Students in a flip over pancakes

Students enjoyed a flippin' successful day of fundraising when they put their pancake-making skills to the test.

Sixth-form students made pancakes for fellow pupils to mark Shrove Tuesday - and raised more than £70 with their efforts.

The money is being split between the Sixth Form prom fund and an upcoming community project abroad.

Lisa Corbett, Community Engagement Officer, said: "They had queues of students lining up for their pancakes.

"They all worked really hard and did a great job."

Maths equals a bright future

Students were inspired to consider mathematics as a future career as part of an event run by University of Wolverhampton.

Ten Yr 10 students took part in the Celebrating Women in Maths event, which was organised by the university in conjunction with the Further Maths Support Programme.

The day included short talks from people who use mathematics in their careers, including a representative from Rolls Royce. Students also took part in a number of hands-on workshops such as the Leaping Frog and 19-Tile puzzles which required patience and logic to solve.

Miss M.Staples, Head of Middle School Mathematics, said: “The event was a really good opportunity for our students to learn more about people who use mathematics in their jobs so that they may consider maths as a potential career option or taking the subject further to A-Level.”

Students taught life-saving First Aid techniques

All Year 7 students are being taught life-saving skills as part of an initiative being run in conjunction with medical students from University of Birmingham.

Around 250 students are being trained in First Aid techniques including CPR and resuscitation as well as dealing with choking and cardiac arrest.

The scheme is running over two weeks and will see all students receive an official First Aid certificate for their efforts after completing the course.

Mrs S.Knight, Head of Citizenship and Community, said: “The university has been given funding to run the initiative and approached us about sending medical students into school to train our students in life-saving First Aid techniques.

“It is wonderful that so many of our students are being taught skills that could potentially save lives and they are have been incredibly enthusiastic about this training.”

Highfields supports Active Kids campaign

Highfields is once again throwing its weight behind the annual Sainsbury’s Active Kids campaign to boost its sporting equipment.

Sainsbury’s runs the Active Kids scheme every year to give schools and sports clubs the chance to redeem vouchers for sports equipment - and we’re asking parents, carers and students to once again show their support.

Highfields has been able to fund a range of new equipment through the scheme in the past, ranging from hockey sticks and netballs through to bean bags and jumping frogs. 

PE teacher, Ms L.Stevenson, said: “Sainsbury’s Active Kids is a great initiative that has allowed us to really enhance our sporting equipment in school.

“At Highfields we are incredibly proud of the wide range of sporting activities we provide in school as well as a number of extra-curricular groups and clubs. The Active Kids scheme allows us to introduce new sporting equipment and supplement our existing equipment which is of great benefit to our students. 

“We would kindly ask that parents and carers collect vouchers when they do their shopping so we can once again make the most of this fantastic campaign.”

This year’s Active Kids campaign runs until May 3 and there will be a box available in reception to place your vouchers in until that date.

Thank you in anticipation of your support!

Tickets on sale NOW for Our House

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s stage show, OUR HOUSE.

The musical features a host of classic hits from Ska band Madness - such as Our House, Baggy Trousers and My Girl - to explore the themes of love, family values, responsibility and growing up.

More than 70 students have been rehearsing after-school and at weekends since October for the production, which will be staged from February 24-27.

Sharon Bishop, Head of Performance, said: “The annual school production is one of the highlights on the school calendar and our students have once again worked incredibly hard to make sure this year’s show is a success.

“It’s always a great experience putting on our shows and we can’t wait for the curtain to rise on this year’s production!”

Tickets cost £5 (£3 concessions). They are available from Humanities LRC.

The story of Our House:

On the night of his 16th birthday, Camden lad Jay Casey makes a decision that will change his life.

Trying to impress Sarah, the girl of his dreams, Jay breaks into a building development overlooking his home on Casey Street. But things take a turn for the worse when the police turn up. 

Jay's life splits into two: ‘Good Jay’ who stays to face the consequences of his actions and ‘Bad Jay’ who flees the scene and leaves Sarah to fend for herself against the pursuing officers.

Our House follows the two paths that Jay’s life could take over the next seven years following that fateful night - one that leads to a criminal record and social exclusion and one that makes him rich beyond his wildest dreams only to lose the things he cherishes most in the world - the girl, his friends and his beloved mum.

Watched over by his deceased father, whose own reckless decisions cost him his life, is there really any happy ending for Jay? 

Or - if he could go back in time - would he realise that the decision to break into that building was ‘madness’ and react differently?

Students become 'dementia friends' after charity visit

Health & Social Care students were given an insight into the realities of living with dementia during a visit by Gillian Davies, from Alzheimer's Society.

Gillian is an information worker for the charity, which is the UK's leading support and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers.

She gave a presentation to Year 12 & 13 students about dementia and answered their questions about the condition before giving them contact numbers to allow them to gain work experience in the future.

The students were also sent a link to allow them to carry out a further study session about dementia care so they can achieve an official certification, and presented with badges to wear with pride, which identifies them as a 'dementia friend'.

Mrs D. Bennett, Health & Social care teacher, said: "Gillian was very professional. She delivered a wonderful presentation and answered all of the questions the group asked with ease."

Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about the condition.