Budding engineers build robots at contest

Budding young engineers have been praised for their skills and innovation after building and programming robots to take part in a series of ‘missions’ as part of a national competition.

The nine-strong team of KS3 students showcased their talents as part of the Tomorrow’s Engineers EEP Robotics Challenge. The team were part of Highfields' STEM club, led by Miss Prosser.

The challenge is a curriculum-linked national programme that gives 11-14 year-olds the chance to learn how to build, program and control autonomous LEGO robots to complete a series of ‘missions’ using LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education EV3 sets. 

As the event is supported by the RAF, which is celebrating its centenary this year, the challenge had an aviation theme. Students had to complete a series of short ‘missions’, ranging from deploying aircraft and humanitarian aid, to speed racing. They also explained the reasons behind their designs and described how they had managed to overcome any problems they encountered to a judging panel of professional engineers.

Head of Maths & Science Learning School, Mr A Dean, said: “The students spoke with confidence and really impressed the judges with their responses to questions. They also researched, planned and presented their own response to a contemporary scientific problem developed by LEGO Education with the RAF regarding looking at how engineers could support humanitarian aid in the future. Our team chose to research this in terms of prosthetics and limb replacement.

“During the course of the day the students were praised for their exemplary behaviour, teamwork and for their persistence. Special mention was made during the awards session to the research team, with Year 8 student Lauren Poole being singled out for her confidence, eloquence and considered responses to the experts’ questions.”

Hospitality students dish up tasty feast

Hospitality students dished up a tasty feast to showcase their culinary talents and customer service skills.

Students served up the ‘thank you’ lunch to 10 members of staff as part of their Unit 6 Food and Drinks Service task.

Selected members of staff were invited to tuck into the meal of chicken or vegetable pies with homemade chips and garlic vine tomatoes. The main course was followed by Limoncello possets, chocolate mirror glazed cake and homemade salted caramel ice cream with a tuile biscuit, as well as a selection of petit fours.

Food Technology teacher, Ms L Smith, said: “The students set up the tables for service and waited on staff hand and foot.

“They received extremely positive feedback from staff who said that the food and service was exceptional. They should feel proud of themselves.”

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Bard to be celebrated in 'Shakespearience' festival

The life and works of Shakespeare will be celebrated as part of an action-packed arts festival for all the family.

Students from Highfields, Penn Fields and Wolverhampton College are working together to stage ‘Shakespearience’ at the Light House, Fryer Street, on April 21st.

It will feature creative workshops for kids, film screenings, an animation station, sensory room, live music and poetry recitals, as well as dance and drama performances all celebrating the Bard’s life and works.

The event, which will run from 12pm-5pm, is free to attend and open to visitors of all ages.

More than 50 students are involved in the project and are currently busy rehearsing on Tuesday evenings. They will also give up some of their Easter holiday to perfect their performances.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields' Head of Performance, said: “It is wonderful to be collaborating once again with Penn Fields School and Wolverhampton College on this exciting arts project.

“Students are currently working very hard to put on a spectacular showcase to celebrate the works of Shakespeare and we are looking forward to seeing the results of their efforts at the festival on April 21st.

“The day will be packed with lots of activities and performances to provide fun for all the family. We hope to see you all there.”

Highfields struck by Greased Lightning!

Highfields was struck by Greased Lightning as students amazed audiences with this year’s stage spectacular - including one superstar VIP guest.

Months of hard work was rewarded with rave reviews when students took to the stage to perform hit musical Grease.

Among the crowds was soul superstar Beverley Knight, who took time out from her busy schedule to cheer on the cast. Former Highfields student Beverley was in the audience to watch the final performance on Saturday night and took to Twitter to tell her 132,000 followers how much she had loved the showcase.

The show had initially been due to take place from Feb 28th-March 3rd but three performances were called off due to heavy snowfall and had to be rescheduled for the following week. Despite the delay, and unfortunate cast illness which saw some students take on new roles at the last minute, the show was another resounding success.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Performance, said: “We are incredibly proud of every student who has given their all over the past few months to put on another fabulous show. 

“Our annual musical productions at Highfields have gained a fantastic reputation and we always strive to stage showcases to the highest standard. Rehearsals are always great fun but the extraordinary amount of hard work that our students put in week after week cannot be underestimated. This is why it was so disappointing that three of our original shows had to be cancelled due to the snow.

“However, our fabulous cast and band refused to let a bit of snow dampen their spirits and they were back ready to entertain audiences for the rescheduled shows a week later - even with a few late cast changes due to illness. 

“They were given an extra boost when former Highfields student, Beverley Knight, confirmed she would be in the audience for the final show. Having nurtured her performance talent at Highfields as a teenager - including playing Sandy in the school’s last version of Grease many years ago - Beverley has gone on to enjoy global fame.

“She has always been an avid supporter of her former school and it was an honour to have her in the audience. Our students were absolutely thrilled she was there to watch them and she said she was hugely impressed with their performances.

“To all of the students involved, I just want to say a huge ‘well done’. You were phenomenal and should be incredibly proud.”

The musical is one of the most successful and popular of all time, featuring a host of uplifting songs, including Summer Nights, Greased Lightning, We Go Together and Born To Hand Jive.

The showcase was the second collaboration with neighbouring Penn Fields School for the annual production and students had rehearsed every Thursday evening and some Saturdays since October. 

Take a look at our gallery of photographs:

World Book Day celebrated in style

The world of make believe was brought to life when students and staff dressed as their favourite fictional characters to celebrate World Book Day.

Little Red Riding Hood, Harry Potter and Maleficent were among the characters who turned up to school as part of the festivities, alongside the entire cast of Mr Men and characters from Dr Seuss books.

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

Each student and member of staff who dressed up made a 50p donation to the Book Bus charity, which aims to improve child literacy rates in Africa, Asia and South America by providing children with books and the inspiration to read them.

Mrs K Allen, Lead Practitioner, said: “Staff and Year 7 and 8 students were invited to dress up as characters from their favourite books as part of the celebrations to mark World Book Day.

“It was a very enjoyable day, with some fantastic costumes on show, but most importantly it gave us a chance to inspire our students and ignite a lifelong love of books and reading.”

Catering students get taste of work

Students hoping to pursue a career in Catering were given a taste of the fast-paced industry during a visit to a top hotel.

Year 10 Hospitality and Catering students visited the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham where they got the chance to see professionals at work.

The trip was organised by Food Technology teacher, Miss E Williams. She said: “The staff were great as they showed students how to prepare and serve highly-skilled dishes and talked to them about the many different roles in the Catering industry.

“Students thoroughly enjoyed the visit and found it very inspirational. They learnt a lot about the Catering industry and how it is run, which will be a huge help with their coursework and exam. Some students have said they definitely want to go into the industry now, which just shows how great the experience was for them.”

Grease performances rescheduled

Photograph courtesy of Express & Star 

Highfields’ production of Grease has been rescheduled for this week after heavy snowfall forced us to cancel three performances.

The first performance of the stage spectacular went ahead as planned last Wednesday (Feb 28th) but shows scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday (March 1/2/3) had to be called off due to the treacherous weather conditions.

The shows have now been rescheduled to take place this Thursday, Friday and Saturday (March 8/9/10). Tickets purchased for last week will be valid for the corresponding day of this week.

An extra rehearsal will take place for the cast, which will run from 3.30pm-5pm for members of the chorus and from 3.30pm-7pm for principals and the band.

The musical is being staged after months of rehearsals, which have taken place every Thursday and some Saturdays since October. It is the school’s second showcase collaboration with neighbouring Penn Fields School.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Performance, said: “We took the decision to call off last week’s shows due to the heavy snowfall.

“We were so disappointed for our students after they had put in so much hard work over many months, but the risk to their safety and that of members of the audience travelling in to school was too great to go ahead with the original dates.

“We are delighted to have been able to reschedule the shows for this week and are looking forward to welcoming you all to sing along to Grease’s many iconic hits!”

Shows start at 7.30pm in the Lyceum and refreshments will be available in the interval.

Our show has been publicised in the Express & Star. To read the article, click here

It's Showtime!

It’s time for the curtain to go up on this year’s stage spectacular, Grease.

After months of rehearsals, students will take to the stage tonight (28th) for the first of four performances.

The musical is one of the most successful and popular of all time, featuring a host of uplifting songs, including Summer Nights, Greased Lightning, We Go Together and Born To Hand Jive.

The showcase is the second collaboration with neighbouring Penn Fields School for the annual production and students have been rehearsing every Thursday evening and some Saturdays since October. 

Ms S Bishop, Head of Performance, said: “Our students have worked incredibly hard over the past few months and we are delighted that it’s now showtime!

“We are proud to be staging our annual musical in collaboration with Penn Fields for the second year and have been pleased to see so many students from both schools involved.

“Grease is an iconic musical that has transcended generations. It features some very catchy songs that we guarantee will have the audience dancing and singing along.

“Our students have put in so much effort to put on another fantastic production and we are looking forward to welcoming you all to sing along in the audience.”

The show will run until Saturday, March 3rd. There are only a handful of tickets remaining, costing £6 (£4 concessions), which are available from the Humanities LRC. Shows start at 7.30pm in the Lyceum and refreshments will be available in the interval.

Students get insight into film industry

Film Studies students got to grips with the many careers available to them in the world of TV and movies during a visit to Birmingham City University. 

Students from Years 9, 12 and 13 visited the university to experience the Arts Connect TV and Film Careers Fair. Whilst they were there, they enjoyed a presentation on the film and TV industry, hosted by Into Film, the UK's biggest film education charity, and also one of Highfields' partners in the upcoming Young Wolf Film Festival, details of which will be revealed soon.

Throughout the day students also enjoyed the opportunity to network at the event's 'marketplace' where they spoke to representatives from the BBC, Channel 4 and many more. They even had the chance to have prosthetic injuries applied by an Oscar-nominated makeup artist. Finally, they attended workshops on screenwriting and filmmaking, hosted by industry professionals who have previously worked on Eastenders and Casualty.

Film Studies teacher, Mr D Cooper, said: “Students took lots from the day and gained a valuable insight into how to get started in one of the UK's most profitable, yet competitive, industries.”

Careers Fair inspires students for future

Students were inspired to look forward to the future during a Careers Fair, which saw more than 40 exhibitors showcasing what they have to offer after Highfields.

The event was open to all students from Year 9 through to Sixth Form and more than 100 visitors poured through the doors to see the huge range of choices available to them after school.

Colleges, universities, training providers and employers from a range of industries were represented at the Careers Fair, including Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, The Royal Navy, The British Army, West Midlands Ambulance Service, West Midlands Fire Service, Jaguar Land Rover and Barclays.

Mr A Jeavons, Highfields’ Careers and Business Links Manager, said: “This Careers Fair provided a fantastic opportunity for students to explore in detail the range of progression routes and career opportunities available to them at Post-16 and beyond.

“We were overwhelmed with the turnout from students, parents and exhibitors. It was certainly  Highfields’ busiest Careers Fair to date. The atmosphere was amazing and we are so very grateful to our exhibitors and everyone who came along for making it such a huge success.

“We are already looking forward to making next year’s event even bigger and better. With this in mind, if you have any feedback you wish to provide, on both strengths and areas you think could be developed, we would love to hear it.”

Please email ajeavons@hswv.co.uk with feedback from the event.