Students see science in action during Oxford trip

Talented young scientists from Highfields got an insight into the vital work being done to develop cancer treatments during a trip to Oxford University.

Nine students visited the Department of Oncology, where they received a tutorial from Dr Martin Christlieb.

Students learnt more about the ways cancer cells differ from normal cells and therefore some of the challenges that come with developing treatments.

They also got the chance to tour the university’s research labs, see cutting-edge science in action and question an Oxford academic.

Head of Maths & Science Learning School, Mr A Dean, who organised the trip, said: “The lab has a number of scientists working together to better understand cancer and to develop new treatments.

“In addition to learning about the many ways that cancer cells are different from normal cells, we learnt some more unusual facts including that “oncology” means the study of lumps.

“We then had a guided tour of Keble College where we were fortunate enough to see areas normally off limits to the public such as the college library. 

“Lastly we looked around the university science museum, including a preserved bear, dinosaur skeletons and the chance to hold one of the oldest things in existence on Earth, a 3.6 billion year old rock.

“Overall it was a very interesting day and it encouraged students to think more widely about possible degrees and careers in science.”

Latest edition of The H launched

Highfields' Young Journalists have unveiled the latest edition of the school's newspaper, The H.

The fourth edition of the newspaper has been released ahead of the summer break, and it is packed with news articles and features giving an insight into the many success stories, events and trips over the past term. 

A 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. As the students prepare to move into Year 11 and busy revision schedules, they are now ready to hand over the reins to a new team of budding reporters.

Any students interested in becoming part of The H team can email vnash@hswv.co.uk or tbanks01@hswv.co.uk

To view a digital version of the July 2018 edition of The H, click the image below:

Highfields supports police anti-knife crime campaign

Highfields welcomed a Police Community Support Officer to deliver assemblies to students about the dangers of carrying knives as part of the school's support for a new anti-knife crime campaign by West Midlands Police.

The visits came after West Midlands Police issued guidance to parents and students in light of recent knife incidents in Wolverhampton.

Police have released an awareness-raising poster campaign (opposite) amid a rise in knife crime in the West Midlands as they pleaded with parents to ‘have a conversation’ with their children about the dangers of carrying knives.

Headteacher, Mr G Tate, said: “As I am sure you are aware, there has been growing concern both locally and nationally regarding the number of knife-related crimes committed by teenagers and young people. We, alongside other secondary schools in Wolverhampton, are supporting West Midlands Police in an awareness-raising campaign to highlight the dangers of carrying a knife.  

"As part of this campaign, assemblies have been held to highlight the risks associated with these dangerous weapons. The assemblies have been delivered by local Police and Community Support Officers and Highfields staff.  

"We have also been asked by the Police to distribute this letter to parents/carers giving an overview of the warning signs that your child or a friend of theirs may exhibit if they are at risk of being involved in knife crime or gang activity.  It also details sources of support available to parents/carers.  I hope that both you and your child find these resources useful in helping to keep them informed of the dangers of knife crime and gang involvement.  As you know, the school takes the safety of its students very seriously and we have a range of Safeguarding information on the website in the About section.  

"If you have any questions or would like any further information about the school’s work in this important area please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Head of School."

Please click on the image below to open the full Home Office leaflet for parents regarding the dangers of carrying knives

Renowned mathematician inspires students with workshop

Mathematician and motivational speaker, Rob Eastaway, visited Highfields to inspire students with an interactive workshop.

The school won a Twitter competition to secure the visit from the famous mathematician, who has written many books aimed at popularising Mathematics.

He delivered his workshop, called ‘Back of Envelope Maths’, to 60 students from Year 10 and another 60 from Year 12.

The aim of the session - organised by Highfields’ Lead Practitioner for Mathematics, Miss L Green -  was to teach students about Mathematics that is hidden in everyday life and the art of working things out when you are given little data.

She said: “The talk was about Fermi questions, the art of working things out when you aren't given any data.  From working out the most efficient way to save energy, to a quick method for answering a vintage Who wants to be a Millionaire? question, Rob guided students through Maths that can be done on the back of an envelope.

“It was a really interesting workshop and made our students think of Mathematics in a way they had perhaps not done so before. Thank you so much to Rob for taking the time to speak to our students.”

Rob is Director of Maths Inspiration, a national programme of interactive lecture shows in theatres that has reached over 100,000 teenagers over the past ten years.

He was awarded the Zeeman medal in 2017 for excellence in the promotion of Maths.

DIGI Award success to kick off Film Festival

Highfields’ first ever Young Wolf Film Festival kicked off in style with a trip to the UK’s oldest working cinema and a dazzling awards ceremony that saw the school’s students honoured for their film-making talents.

Sixty-three students from Years 7-13 visited Birmingham’s landmark Electric Cinema to hear a talk about its rich history and watch animated film Coco.

The trip also acted as a reward for hard-working members of the school’s HTV team and Film Club, who have produced masses of great video content over the past year.

In the evening, members of HTV and Film Club took to the red carpet at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre alongside two sixth formers, Jemma Payne and Jack Beckett, for the annual DIGI Awards. 

The talented HTV team picked up the accolade for Best Secondary Innovative Practice in recognition of their fantastic work bringing the school’s success stories to life on screen in weekly news bulletins. Jemma Payne also edged out an incredibly strong field to win her second successive DIGI Award for Best KS5 Short Film.

Sadly, Film Club's effort Nova, didn't win awards glory this year, although the team had a great time celebrating at the DIGI Awards, which are held annually to celebrate the achievements of learners and teachers in digital film and creative media.

Film Studies teacher, Mr D Cooper, said: “It has been a fantastic start to our very first Young Wolf Film Festival and we are looking forward to more action-packed days celebrating the world of film over the course of the week.

“Congratulations to all of our students who were involved with the DIGI Awards. They should all feel very proud of what they have achieved.”

The festival runs until Friday 6th July and features a packed programme of events involving dozens of students from schools and Sixth Forms across Wolverhampton, including quizzes, a day of interactive workshops giving students the chance to work with professional sound designers, make-up artists and special effects experts as well as a ‘Night At The Movies’ finale, complete with a sing-a-long screening of The Greatest Showman.

Students get to grips with apprenticeships as they look to future

Students are looking forward to life after Highfields thanks to Employability Skills sessions being run in conjunction with the Government.

Representatives from the DWP’s Support for Schools team have been visiting the school to deliver sessions to Year 10 students. The visits form part of the Citizenship curriculum.

As part of the sessions, students are being given important information about various different apprenticeship levels, as well as guidance about what to expect from their work experience placements in September and taking part in activities about making choices. They have also been given the chance to register on the Government’s apprenticeships website to explore the options available to them after school.

Mr R Oseland, Head of Year 10, said: “The students have been really engaging with the sessions and are appreciative of the information and guidance they have been given to support their decisions for the future.”

A-maze-ing Mathematics challenge for students on Manchester trip

Students had an ‘a-maze-ing’ time when they put their Mathematics skills to the test during a challenging visit to Manchester Metropolitan University.

A group of Year 10 students travelled to the university to take part in an escape room challenge based on popular TV show, The Crystal Maze.

As part of the visit, they worked in teams to complete a series of challenges which involved using an element of logic or Maths, including cracking codes, a dance mat sum challenge and puzzles.

Miss L Green, Lead Practitioner for Mathematics, said: “The group had a fantastic time working together to put their Mathematics knowledge to the test to ‘escape’ various rooms, which had been designed and built by Manchester Metropolitan University students.”

After completing the escape room challenge, students then visited the National Football Museum to get an insight into the many different ways Mathematics is used in football.

Tickets on sale for magical movie night

Film fans are being invited to enjoy a fun-filled ‘Night at the Movies’ to celebrate all that is glittering about the big screen.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which will be staged on July 6th to mark the end of Highfields’ first ever Young Wolf Film Festival.

Members of the public are being invited to join in the celebrations, which will include an outdoor movie experience, a sing-a-long screening of The Greatest Showman and live entertainment. Visitors are being encouraged to dress as their favourite film characters for the festivities. The event will also incorporate this year’s Summer Song & Dance show, which will feature students from all year groups taking to the stage to showcase their singing, dancing and musical talents.

The Night At The Movies event will be the grande finale of the hotly-anticipated Young Wolf Film Festival, which is being launched to celebrate the talents of budding film directors, news anchors, producers and performers from across the City.

The festival runs from July 2nd to 6th and features a packed programme of events involving dozens of students from schools and Sixth Forms across Wolverhampton. It will kick off with a trip to the Electric Cinema, the UK’s oldest working cinema, before students attend the glittering DIGI Awards at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre. It will also feature a day of interactive workshops giving students the chance to work with professional sound designers, make-up artists and special effects experts as well as an awards evening.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Performance, said: “We are delighted to invite students, staff, their families and members of the public to our Night At The Movies event, which will mark the end of our first ever Film Festival. It promises to be a really fun evening with lots going on to entertain visitors and celebrate the world of film. 

“It is a fitting finale to the festival and we are pleased to be able to incorporate our annual Summer Song & Dance show, which is always a great night of entertainment. We look forward to seeing you all there for a fantastic, fun-filled evening."

Tickets cost £5 and are available from the Humanities LRC.

Stunning artwork on show at Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Stunning artwork created by talented Highfields School students has gone on display at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

Creative students are celebrating the chance to showcase their artistic talents to members of the public, with dozens of pieces of work now taking centre stage at the prestigious gallery.

The exhibition is predominantly made up of work created by GCSE Art students but also features artwork by students from Years 8, 9, 10 and 13. It runs until Sunday, July 1st.

Art teacher, Mrs D Smith, said: “It is a fantastic opportunity for our students to be able to showcase their talents to members of the public at the City’s prestigious Art Gallery.

“We have some incredibly talented students and we are very proud of the work they have produced. I would urge everyone to go along to the exhibition over the next few weeks to celebrate their creative achievements.”

Admission to the exhibition, which is taking place on the ground floor of the Art Gallery next to the main front entrance, is free.

Opening times are Monday to Saturday, 10:30am until 4:30pm, and Sunday, 10:30am until 4pm.

Highfields Art Exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Highfields students are celebrating the opportunity to showcase their fantastic artwork at Wolverhampton Art Gallery from Thursday 7th June until Sunday 1st July.

Opening times are:

Monday to Saturday 10:30 am until 4:30 pm

and Sunday 10:30 am until 4:00 pm

Free admission to all who wish to visit the Highfields Art Exhibition (on Ground floor by the main front entrance).