Madness musical 'Our House' is huge hit

This year's production of Our House was a huge success, as students wowed audiences with their impressive acting, singing, dancing and musical talents.

More than 60 students were involved in this year's production, which got sell out-crowds singing along, laughing out loud and dancing in their seats over four nights.

Our House 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.

Students rehearsed for five months ahead of the production, which audiences unanimously agreed was a resounding success.

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

"This year's production was challenging as the storyline simultaneously follows the two paths central character Jay Casey's life could take following a split-second decision made on his 16th birthday. However, our students more than rose to the challenge and put on a fantastic production.

"They performed to a sell-out crowd every evening and everybody agreed what a fantastic show it was. I would personally like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work. All of the students involved should be incredibly proud of what they achieved."

Students hit slopes for Austrian ski adventure

Thrill-seeking students had the time of their lives during a ski trip to Nassfeld, in Austria.

Eighteen students from years 9-13 hit the slopes for six days during the half-term holidays under the guidance of professional instructors as part of the action-packed trip.

They also took part in a number of other activities including 'Winter Olympics'-themed events such as curling as well as bowling and a quiz night.

Mrs R.Coldicott, who organises the trip every two years, said: "This was the hardest year we have had in terms of conditions and the visibility was very poor so they did especially well.

"They just got stuck in. Everybody was extremely complimentary about their attitude, behaviour and manners, from the hotelier to the coach driver and instructors. We shared the hotel, the Pension Leitner, with a group from Welshpool High School and we have received a postcard from them thanking us for helping to make the week so special."

She added: "Before we went we had a two-hour training session on the dry slope at Telford, but 11 of the group had never been skiing before. However, some of them were moved up from the beginners group to the intermediate group because they did so well.

"It was a great trip and we all had a fantastic time."

Students and staff enjoying a wonderful time in Nassfeld, Austria

Highfields supports Sport Relief

Highfields is throwing its weight behind the national Sport Relief fundraising campaign - and is giving students the chance to take part in a number of events to help make a difference.

Sport Relief is a charity event organised through Comic Relief and run every two years in association with BBC Sport. The event brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise tens of millions of pounds to help vulnerable people in the UK and across the world. 

A number of events and activities have been lined up to support this fantastic cause at Highfields from March 14-18, including the Sport Relief Mile. Students in years 7, 8 and 9 will be given the chance to complete the mile as part of their PE lesson. Older students and staff will be able to take on the challenge after school on Thursday, March 17.

Other events include a cross-bar challenge, lip-sync competition and cake decorating, whilst staff will compete in football and netball matches to raise funds.

People can donate by:

*Texting HSWV57 with the donation amount to 70070

*Visiting www.justgiving.com/HighfieldsSchool

*Putting money in an envelope with your child's name and handing it into the Maths/Science LRC

Mrs L.Corbett, Highfields' Community Engagement Officer, said: "Highfields is justifiably proud of the support that students, parents and staff continue to give to both national and local charities, raising thousands of pounds each year to improve the quality of life for many people. As well as working with the Teenage Cancer Trust this year, we are looking forward to offering a series of student-led activities supporting the national Sport Relief initiative.

"Of all of the money raised by the public through Sport Relief, 50% is used to make a difference here in the UK and 50% goes towards transforming lives throughout the world's poorest communities.

"We are delighted to be hosting a number of events to help raise money to support this fantastic charity and cause."

Sport Relief gains huge support from celebrities, who have pushed themselves to the limit to support the cause in the past. Those who have famously completed challenges include Davina McCall, who ran, swam and cycled more than 500 miles from Edinburgh to London; David Walliams, who completed a 140-mile swim of the length of the River Thames and Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton who reached the South Pole in 18 days by ski, bike and kite. Comedian Eddie Izzard is completing 27 marathons in 27 days for this year's event.

World of make believe brought to life for World Book Day

Fairytales and famous books were brought to life when students and staff dressed as their favourite fictional characters to celebrate World Book Day.

Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, The Gruffalo, Little Red Riding Hood, an oompa-loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Cat in the Hat and My Little Pony were among the colourful characters who turned up to school as part of the festivities.

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

In the run-up to the big day, Highfields hosted a book fair to encourage students to read for pleasure, which was a huge success.

School Librarian, Mrs N. Ward, said: "It was very well attended and there was a delightful buzz as staff and students from all year groups browsed the selection of titles on offer.

"It was very ably manned by a team of sixth formers and was a resounding success. Sales were excellent, with a wide variety of books bought. The school has benefited tremendously with free books from a percentage of the total sales made."

Mrs Ward said it was wonderful to see so many staff and students donning fancy dress in honour of their favourite book characters.

She added: "World Book Day arrived with a flurry of very imaginative costumes! Staff and Year 7 and 8 students were invited to dress up as characters from their favourite books and character-spotting became the order of the day! All in all, it was a very enjoyable and successful week of events."

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.”