Fundraiser Lola to shave hair for charity

A kindhearted student is shaving off her long locks to help cancer sufferers.

Lola Spicer-Neal is shaving her hair as part of Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘Brave the Shave’ campaign after seeing a number of close family and friends battle the disease.

The 14-year-old’s hair will be donated to make wigs for cancer sufferers whilst she is now asking for donations to support the incredible work of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Year 10 student Lola will shave her hair on November 10th at Wolverhampton’s Firewalker Gym, where she trains in boxing. 

Mr R Oseland, Head of Year 10, said: “Lola was inspired to support this campaign and shave her hair after seeing a number of family members and friends suffer with cancer in recent years.

“Everyone’s lives have been affected by this terrible disease in some way and we are all very proud of Lola for what she is doing to help those who are suffering by donating her hair and raising much-needed funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.”

Lola has set up a Just Giving page for people to donate and has already raised more than £300 for the cause. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tracy-spicer-neal

Farm shop visit for Food Technology students

Students got a glimpse of the journey their food takes before it reaches their plate during a visit to a leading farm shop.

Twenty-five students visited Apley Farm Shop, in Shropshire, as part of their Food Technology studies.

Apley Farm Shop features 12 businesses that focus on fresh, local and seasonal produce, and students spent four hours there meeting staff and sampling some tasty offerings.

Food Technology teacher, Miss B Chima, said: “They are studying sources of British food, so their visit began with an introduction from the General Manager and Farm Shop Manager before heading off for a guided tour of Apley Walled Garden. 

“After a wholesome lunch in the Creamery Cafe, they met the Apley Butcher and Apley Farm Manager, Adrian Joynt, to hear in detail the journey their food makes, from field to fork.”

Tickets on sale for Autumn Festival

Tickets are now on sale for this year's Autumn Festival, which will see crowds entertained with live drama and music performances, activities, stalls and a spectacular fireworks display finale on the terrace.

More than 200 students, parents and members of the community are expected to flock to this year’s extravaganza on Wednesday, November 1st.

Budding young actors and actresses will be taking to the stage in The Lyceum, whilst the event will also feature performances from musicians, singers and dancers. Stalls, cake sales and crafts activities will also be on offer to entertain visitors. The evening will close with a fireworks display at 8pm.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Performance, said: “The Autumn Festival has become a popular fixture on the school calendar and we are looking forward to another fantastic event.”

Doors open at 7pm. Tickets cost £5 (Free for Under 5s) and include a snack. They are available from the Humanities LRC.

Our Brian settles into life at Oxford University

Former Highfields student Brian White, whose battle to stay in the UK captured hearts across the country, has started the next chapter of his life by taking up his hard-earned place at Oxford University.

The talented Chemistry scholar is embracing life at the world’s best university, where he’ll be studying for the next four years.

The 21-year-old faced having his dream of studying at Oxford snatched from his grasp and being deported to Zimbabwe when his application for a student grant was refused in 2016 because he no longer had permission to live in the UK.

Having been refused indefinite leave to remain, the 21-year-old’s life was left in limbo for over a year whilst he appealed against the decision. His plight led to an overwhelming national campaign that saw him receive support from tens of thousands of people and the UK media, before the Home Office granted him indefinite leave to remain.

During his fight to stay in the UK, Brian spent his time living with Martin Leigh, the partner of Highfields teacher Ms S Bishop. The proud pair recently travelled with him to Oxford to help him settle into his new home alongside the country’s finest academics.

Brian said: “I have been offered a great opportunity in life and intend to take it with both hands.

“The last few weeks have been a whirlwind but now I am delighted that I am now here at Oxford. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped to make this possible and I will do all I can to repay their kindness, generosity and support by studying hard and making the very most of my time here.”

Brian lived in an orphanage in Zimbabwe until the age of six when a missionary spotted the bright boy's potential and introduced him to British-born Peter White who was working in the country and had two children and a Zimbabwean wife.

Mr White first fostered and then adopted Brian, who was 12 when he moved with his new family to Botswana, where he was later left with one of their friends on their return to live in Penn. He was allowed to join them at the age of 15 but immigration officials gave him temporary rather than indefinite leave to remain here.

This was only spotted when Brian's application for a student grant in 2016, following the offer to study Chemistry at Lady Margaret Hall after he got 3 A*s and an A in A Levels, was rejected when it was discovered he had inadvertently overstayed his temporary visa and faced deportation.

Lady Margaret Hall took the rare step of putting his place on hold for 12 months whilst he fought to stay in the UK.

His story started gaining local media attention and the backing of a number of celebrities, including soul superstar Beverley Knight and author Sathnam Sanghera before a petition started by his friend, Luke Wilcox, turned his case into a national sensation.

The online petition urging the Home Office to rethink its decision to refuse him indefinite leave to remain in the UK was signed by more than 111,000 people whilst his story was picked up by the national press, including The Guardian, The Independent, BBC, Evening Standard, The Mirror, Daily Mail and BuzzFeed, among others. He also appeared on This Morning alongside Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.

After months of waiting for his future to be decided, he was delighted to receive a call from lawyer, Mr Louis MacWilliams, confirming the news he had been waiting for. 

Wolf sculpture to be auctioned for charity

Colourful wolf sculptures - including one designed by talented Highfields students - that had formed part of Wolverhampton’s biggest art event are to be auctioned off to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

The 5ft sculptures had been on display across the city as part of the Wolves in Wolves project but they have now been packed away and are being spruced up ready to go under the hammer on Thursday, November 2nd.

Proceeds raised from the auction will be shared between Outside Centre and the chosen charities of the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Elias Mattu.

Students from Highfields worked on the design of their sculpture, called ‘Zeus’, with representatives from WV Active. It includes blue swirls to represent the city’s swimming pools and silhouettes to showcase the many activities on offer at its leisure centres, as well as the colours of the Highfields logo. 

It will be auctioned off with dozens of other wolf sculptures during the auction, which will take place from 7pm at Molineux’s Jack Hayward Suite. It is being hosted by Will Farmer, Director of Fielding Auctioneers Ltd and well known presenter of BBC's Antiques Roadshow.

Tickets cost £5.50 and anyone wishing to attend can register online via The Ticket Factory.

Each wolf has a reserve price of £3,000. Dozens of ‘mini wolves’ from Wolverhampton Art Gallery will also go under the hammer at the event, each with a reserve price of £200.

A selection of wolf sculptures have been retained by their sponsors for use in projects with young people whilst a handful are set to remain on display in the city centre, including ‘Hunter’ outside the University School of Art, ‘Old Gold’ in the Wolves Museum, ‘Thomas’ at Marston's House, ‘Support Life’ at the University of Wolverhampton, ‘Mander’ at Mander House, ‘Beanstalk’ at the Grand Theatre, and roaming wolf ‘Claude’.

(Photographs courtesy of WolvesinWolves.co.uk)

Young Journalists launch school newspaper

A team of budding reporters are putting their journalism skills to the test as part of a new initiative launched to keep students, parents and staff informed of the school’s latest news and achievements.

The Young Journalists scheme is giving students the chance to work with a senior reporter to produce a termly newspaper, called ‘The H’.

An eight-strong team of Year 10 students make up a core editorial team responsible for sourcing and writing news stories from around school and putting them together into a professional-standard newspaper.

The first edition of the newspaper was created in just four weeks and printed before the summer holidays to rave reviews. All students and staff are now being encouraged to support the team by sending in story suggestions ahead of the release of the second edition at Christmas.

Editor, Yasmin Powell, said: “The whole aim of this newspaper is to keep everyone up-to-date with the many things going on around school, including upcoming events, student achievements, success stories and opinion pieces.

“Our first edition was packed with articles from around school, ranging from sport to features and even politics, and we have already started work on our second edition, which we hope will build on this success.

“If any students or members of staff have a burning issue they are keen for us to include or a news story worthy of coverage, make sure to get in touch with one of the team so we can give it the publicity it deserves. We’re always on the lookout for news stories and features so thank you in advance for your support!”

Story suggestions can be sent to the team by emailing theheditorial@hswv.co.uk

The Young Journalists scheme is one of many Student Leadership programmes offered by Highfields.

To view a digital version of our first edition of The H, click the image below:

Highfields welcomes hundreds of visitors at Open Morning

Hundreds of prospective students and parents flocked to Highfields’ annual Open Morning to get a glimpse of the school and everything it has to offer.

The school welcomed more than 300 families through its doors to give them a chance to meet our students and staff, tour the facilities and take part in dozens of interactive workshops and activities.

Hands-on scientific experiments, Guitar Hero music challenges, performances of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, sports displays, pizza making demonstrations and psychology experiments were among the many activities that took place on the day. Visitors also learnt how to pack a rucksack as part of a Duke of Edinburgh display and put forensics to good use to solve a ‘crime’ by taking fingerprints and analysing shoe prints and fibres in our lab. A cake sale was held on the day to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Visitors are now being given the chance to see Highfields at work during the day by taking a tour of the school. Places are still available on the following dates:

    •    Thursday 28th September at 11:30am 

    •    Tuesday 3rd October at 11:30am

    •    Thursday 5th October at 9.30am or 11.30am

    •    Tuesday 10th October at 9:30am or 11:30am

    •    Wednesday 11th October at 9.30am or 11.30am

Tours should be booked in advance by calling Mrs Thomas on 01902 556530.

Headteacher, Mr G Tate, said: “We were delighted to welcome so many people through the doors for this year’s Open Morning. It was a wonderful opportunity for prospective students and visitors to get a feel for the many things we offer at Highfields.

"We pride ourselves on providing youngsters with a high quality education, an engaging curriculum and a wide range of extra-curricular activities to enrich their learning experiences. 

"We relish the opportunity to open our doors to visitors to showcase what our school is all about and everything that makes Highfields so special.”

The Open Morning came after Highfields celebrated another outstanding set of GCSE results - with 109 students achieving the highest gradings of 7 or above in English or Maths. A total of 71% of students achieved a standard pass in both English and Maths, whilst half of all students achieved the new strong pass in both subjects. Thirty students achieved the highest Grade 9 rating in English Literature and English Language, out of just 13,000 nationally, whilst Gurkeerat Sandhu attained a 9 grading in English Literature, English Language and Maths - one of just 2,000 students nationally to do so. He also achieved another 5 A*, two A grades and a B.

Visitors welcome to Open Morning 2017

Hundreds of prospective students and parents are set to flock to Highfields for the school's annual Open Morning, where they can meet our students and staff, get a glimpse of the facilities and take part in dozens of interactive workshops and activities showcasing what the school has to offer.

The Open Morning will take place from 10am to 12.30pm on Saturday, September 23rd.

Hands-on scientific experiments, Guitar Hero music challenges, performances of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, sports displays, pizza making demonstrations and psychology experiments are among the many activities lined up for the hundreds of visitors expected on the day. Visitors can also learn how to pack a rucksack as part of a Duke of Edinburgh display and put forensics to good use to find the 'criminal' by taking fingerprints and analysing shoe prints and fibres in our lab. A cake sale will be held on the day to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Headteacher, Mr G.Tate, will speak to parents in The Lyceum at 10.15am, 11am and 11.45am.

Mr Tate said: “Our Open Morning provides a wonderful opportunity for prospective students and visitors to get a feel for the many things we offer at Highfields.

"At Highfields, we pride ourselves on providing youngsters with a high quality education, an engaging curriculum and a wide range of extra-curricular activities to enrich their learning experiences. 

"We relish the opportunity to open our doors to visitors to showcase what our school is all about and everything that makes Highfields so special."

Visitors who would like to see Highfields at work during the day should call Mrs Thomas on 01902 556530 to arrange an appointment on one of the following dates:

• Tuesday 26th September at 9:30am or 11:30am
• Wednesday 27th September at 9:30am or 11:30 am
• Thursday 28th September at 9:30am or 11:30am 
• Tuesday 3rd October at 9:30am or 11:30am
• Wednesday 4th October at 9:30am or 11:30am
• Thursday 5th October 1t 9.30am or 11.30am
• Tuesday 10th October at 9:30am or 11:30am
• Wednesday 11th October at 9.30am or 11.30am

The Open Morning comes after Highfields celebrated another outstanding set of GCSE results - with 109 students achieving the highest gradings of 7 or above in English or Maths. A total of 71% of students achieved a standard pass in both English and Maths, whilst half of all students achieved the new strong pass in both subjects. Thirty students achieved the highest Grade 9 rating in English Literature and English Language, out of just 13,000 nationally, whilst Gurkeerat Sandhu attained a 9 grading in English Literature, English Language and Maths - one of just 2,000 students nationally to do so. He also achieved another 5 A* and two A grades.

School Prospectus 2017-18

Exam results 2017

Open Morning Programme 

Time running out to visit wolf trail

There are just days left to get a glimpse of Wolverhampton’s colourful trail of wolf sculptures - including one designed by talented art students from Highfields. 

The 5ft sculptures are on display across the city as part of the Wolves in Wolves project, Wolverhampton’s biggest ever public art event. Thirty sculptures have been placed around the city at points of interest, allowing people to explore its best attractions. 

Students were selected by members of staff from the Art department to transform the school’s wolf into a colourful piece of art before it took its place outside the Civic Centre as part of the city-wide sculpture trail.

They worked on the design with representatives from WV Active, which has sponsored the sculpture, called ‘Zeus’. It includes blue swirls to represent the city’s swimming pools and silhouettes to showcase the many activities on offer at its leisure centres, as well as the colours of the Highfields logo. 

The trail ends on Sunday, September 24th, before the wolf sculptures are auctioned off for charity.

Art teacher, Ms P Thomson, said: “There are 30 stunning sculptures on display so I would urge anyone who hasn’t yet seen them to go out and hunt them all down before the trail ends.”

Wolves in Wolves has been organised by The Outside Centre and Enjoy Wolverhampton, with support from Wolverhampton City Council.

The project has drawn comparisons with The Big Hoot, which saw colourful owl sculptures placed around Birmingham to raise cash for the city’s Children’s Hospital.

Students get experience in world of work

Students got a taste of the careers they are hoping to pursue in future when they spent a week out on work experience.

Year 11 students spent the first week of term on work experience with companies from a range of industries, including law, emergency services, health & beauty, theatre, retail, pharmaceutical, banking, education, veterinary, mechanics and hospitality.

Mr C Rhodes, Year 11 Manager, said: “Work experience provides students with a wonderful opportunity to get a taste of the careers they are interested in.

“For many of them, it has confirmed the career paths that they want to take in the future, whilst others have decided that maybe they should pursue other career options.

“We would like to say a big thank you to all of the businesses and organisations that allowed our students to do their work experience with them. It is incredibly important that they get this introduction to work as they head into their last year of school.”

Arrangements for next year's work experience placements will start over the coming weeks.