Students get experience in world of work

Students got a taste of the careers they are hoping to pursue when they leave Highfields as part of week-long work experience placements.

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, hospitality, landscape gardening, radio and retail.

Mr A Jeavons, Highfields’ Careers and Business Links Manager, said: “Work experience provides students with a wonderful opportunity to get a taste of the careers they are interested in pursuing after school.

“For many of them, it has confirmed the career paths they want to take in the future, whilst others have decided that maybe they need to rethink the direction they take after school.

“We would like to say a big thank you to all of the businesses and organisations that allowed our students to complete 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.

Hundreds expected at Open Morning

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

The Open Morning will take place from 10am to 12.30pm on Saturday 22nd September.

Hands-on scientific experiments, Guitar Hero music challenges, trampolining and gymnastics displays, maths challenges, dance and & drama displays, pizza making demonstrations and language games are among the many activities lined up for the event. Visitors can also learn how to pack a rucksack as part of a Duke of Edinburgh display, experience Victory in Europe street parade celebrations, take part in an experiment designed by psychology students into what makes people more likeable and solve a ‘crime’ by trying their hands at finger printing and fibre analysis. A cake sale will be held on the day to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Headteacher, Mr G Tate, will speak to parents in The Lyceum at 10.15am, 11.00am and 11.45am.

Mr Tate said: “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.

“Our Open Morning gives us a wonderful opportunity to give prospective students and visitors a glimpse of what our school is all about and everything that makes it so special.”

The Open Morning comes after Highfields celebrated another fantastic set of GCSE results, with more than half of all students achieving the highest grades. Students raised the bar to attain higher grades than last year, with 76% of students achieving a standard pass (Grade 4 or above) in both English and Maths, and 56% of students attaining a strong pass (Grade 5 or above) in both English and Maths.

Full a full programme of events, click on the image below:

Little Shop of Horrors to rock Highfields

Talented students are being encouraged to showcase their star quality by signing up to perform in rock musical Little Shop of Horrors, which has been officially confirmed as the school's 2019 major musical production.

Students from Years 10-13 are being given the chance to take part in the show, which will be staged over four nights to a live audience in 2019.

Auditions for those wishing to take on a principal role are set to be held soon, after students and staff returned from the summer break. 

Little Shop of Horrors is a musical comedy horror about a florist shop worker who discovers his Venus Flytrap can talk. It will be staged in the school’s Lyceum Theatre from February 27th to March 2nd 2019.

It is one of two big musical productions to be staged by Highfields during the 2018/19 academic year. The Wizard of Oz will be staged from November 7th - 9th and will feature students from Years 7 to 9.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Performance, said: “We are delighted to have secured the license to perform Little Shop of Horrors, which is a fantastic musical and one that I have personally wanted to stage at the school for a number of years.

“We are looking forward to getting into rehearsals shortly now that we have returned to school from the summer break. The show is open to all students from Years 10 to 13, not just for those who have previous experience of performing.

“We will be holding auditions for those wishing to take on principal roles in September but anyone who would like the chance to be involved in the chorus is welcome to just turn up at the first rehearsal when it is announced.

“Our annual musical productions have gained an excellent reputation for their quality and as a result now feature more than 100 students. Due to the huge number of students involved I felt that not all of them were given as much of the spotlight as they deserved, which is why we will be staging two musicals next year for the first time.

“A lot of hard work and effort goes into putting on our musical productions but they are always a spectacular success and I am looking forward to the challenge of staging two so more of our students can get the chance to perform on stage.”

Students celebrate outstanding GCSE results

Highfields is celebrating another set of outstanding GCSE results, with more than half of all students achieving the highest grades (Grade 7 or above).

Students raised the bar to attain higher grades than last year, with 77% of students achieving a standard pass (Grade 4 or above) in both English and Maths, a 5% increase on last year. In addition, just under 60% of students attained a strong pass (Grade 5 or above) in both English and Maths - an increase of 10%.

Twenty-five students achieved the highest Grade 9 rating, with both Sofia Kler-Sangha and Yuvraj Bhagotra attaining this in English Language, English Literature and Maths. Sofia achieved a total of eight Grade 9s and three Grade 8s, whilst Yuvraj achieved seven Grade 9s and three Grade 8s.

A further six exceptional students  -Emily Longman, Jassimran Tamber, Charlotte Hamilton-Clay, James Kennedy, Mrithula Raj Balaji and Maria Vazquez-Teles - achieved three or more GCSE Grade 9s, placing them all amongst the national elite.

Mrs N Clifton, Head of Upper School, said: “We are very proud of the effort and achievement of all students and staff. I would like to thank all parents for their hard work and continued support and wish our students all the very best of luck for the future after their well-deserved success."

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A-Level success for students

Sixth Form students are celebrating another fantastic set of A-Level results – with over half of them being top A*-B grades and more than 100 students securing their places at university. 

Students achieved a 99% pass rate – 77% of them being A*-C grades and 51% A*-B grades. 

Mr K Blower, Head of Sixth Form, said: “It has been another good year for A-level results. Overall, we had a 99% pass rate and there were some fantastic individual results.

"In particular, our students achieved some very impressive Maths and Science results this year. We achieved 4 A*s in Chemistry and 3 A*s in Maths, which is a fantastic achievement in some very demanding subjects.

"More than 100 students are now expected to move on to university after securing the grades they required, the vast majority of them securing their first-choice places.

“They have worked extremely hard and I wish them all the very best of luck as they go on to the next stage of their lives."

Among the students celebrating fantastic A-Level results are Bernice Johal and Kaylum McCann (pictured above). Former Head Girl Bernice achieved an A* in Maths, an A in Chemistry and a B in Biology. She is now going on to study Medicine at Aston University and was recently interviewed by the BBC about her success on the ‘Pathways to Medicine’ programme at Aston Uni.

Kaylum achieved an incredible three A*s in Maths, Further Maths and Physics and is now preparing to study Physics at the University of Manchester.

Spotlight on Oz at Summer School

Young performers showcased their talents on their quest to find the wonderful Wizard of Oz as part of a creative Summer School.

Dozens of youngsters gave up a week of their summer break to take part in the Wizard of Oz Summer School.

They perfected their vocal, acting and dancing talents during the week by recreating scenes from the classic musical, whilst arty students also got the chance to showcase their creative talents by making colourful props for the performances.

The Summer School was attended by students from Years 7-9, as well as a number of  students who are due to start at Highfields in September.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Performance, said: “Our Summer School is usually focused on Shakespeare, however we decided this year to have a Wizard of Oz theme as we are due to stage the musical later in the year.

“The students worked very hard during an intensive week of rehearsals and did a great job of bringing a number of scenes from the much-loved musical to life.

“We are now looking forward to getting started with rehearsals for the musical, which is open to all students from Years 7-9 and will be performed in November.”

Our Brian in volunteering mission to China

Former Highfields student Brian White, whose battle to stay in the UK and study at Oxford captured hearts across the country, is spending his holidays mentoring children at a Chinese summer camp.

Instead of returning to Wolverhampton for the long break, the talented 21-year-old has instead volunteered his time to teach youngsters at the Greenwoods International Summer Camp.

The camp, located at Qiandao Lake in China, welcomes youngsters aged 7-15 from across the world to enjoy sports facilities, outdoor pursuits and academic studies.

Brian will spend two months tutoring youngsters at the camp after completing his first year at Oxford University.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Performance who supported Brian in his hard-fought appeal to remain in the UK, said: “Brian has thoroughly embraced his first year at university and didn’t want to spend the long summer break just sitting around after what has been a whirlwind of a year.

“He is loving every minute of his mentoring and it is wonderful to see his infectious smile lighting up the lives of students over in China.”

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 more than a year in limbo, the Home Office granted him indefinite leave to remain and he started his studies at Oxford last September. (Images courtesy of Greenwoods International Summer Camp)

Sporting talent honoured at PE Legacy Awards

Highfields hosted its second PE Legacy Awards honouring the efforts and achievements of the school’s sporty students.

The event, which took place on July 12th, was staged following the huge success of last year’s inaugural event to celebrate the wealth of sporting talent at Highfields in a range of categories, including Sports Person of the Year, Sports Team of the Year and Elite Performer.

This year the categories were extended to honour a wider variety of students, including the addition of an award for Dancer of the Year (for KS3 and KS4) as well as a Year 11 GCSE PE Contribution Award.

The guest speaker on the night was long-distance runner Rob Pope, who made records for becoming the first person to run across the USA four times in one year. He presented the accolades in front of family and friends and took part in a domino challenge. Invited guests were also entertained with performances by members of Highfields Barefoot Dance Group, GCSE Dance students and members of the school’s Gymnastics team.

PE teacher, Ms L Stevenson, who organised the event, said: “We are overwhelmed with superb commitment, strong leadership and outstanding personal performances at Highfields. We were delighted to stage our second PE Legacy Awards to celebrate students’ achievements, efforts and commitment to sport. It was another fantastic evening that ended the school term on a high. Congratulations to all of our nominees and students who won awards.” 

Big winners on the night included Daniel Foster, Kiah Townsend, Mia Cashmore, Leah Roberts, Emily Kilmister and Vishal Patel, who each won the Sports Person of the Year award for their Year group. The Under 13 Girls’ Athletics team took the Sports Team of the Year accolade.

Highfields achieves quality standard for careers work

Highfields has been awarded the national Quality in Careers Standard in recognition of its outstanding work to prepare students for life after school.

The Standard is awarded under licence by Prospects to schools and education providers who can demonstrate the importance they place on careers and how they support students to make decisions about their life after school. 

Highfields continually works to improve the chances and future career opportunities for all of its students.

There is a statutory duty to ‘secure independent careers guidance’ for all students from Year 8 onwards and the Government also recommends that all schools should be required to work towards the national Quality in Careers Standard. 

The Standard recognises Highfields’ commitment to embracing, promoting and endorsing quality careers education and recognising the part it plays in the overall success of the school and its students. The school offers a range of activities to introduce students to the world of work and help them make decisions about life after school, including careers fairs and work experience placements, as well as guest visits from employers and Further Education providers.

Mr A Jeavons, Highfields’ Careers and Business Links Manager, said: “We are thrilled to have achieved the national Quality in Careers Standard awarded by Prospects. We recognise the important role school plays in helping students develop their knowledge, skills and experience so they can go out into the world and achieve personal success. 

“This standard has provided a flexible framework that enabled us to audit our work on careers and ensure our students are receiving advice, practical support and experience so they are prepared for the next stage of their education, employment, self-employment or training.”

Movies in spotlight at first Highfields Film Festival

Highfields’ first ever Young Wolf Film Festival was a huge success as hundreds of students, staff and members of the public from around the city joined together to celebrate the wonderful world of movies.

The week-long festival kicked off with a visit to Birmingham’s landmark Electric Cinema, where 63 students from Years 7-13 heard a talk about its rich history and watch animated film Coco.

The first day was rounded off in style when members of HTV and Film Club took to the red carpet at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre alongside two Sixth Form students, 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 at the DIGI Awards, which are held annually to celebrate the achievements of learners and teachers in digital film and creative media.

The packed programme continued into day two when students and staff tested their movie knowledge with a series of quizzes, whilst students from four other city schools descended for movie-making madness on day three. Fifty students were involved, from primary (Springdale), special (Pennfields) and secondary (St Peter’s and St Edmund’s). Learners were given an expert tutorial in movie makeup and special effects by industry professional Laura Durand before trying their hands at applying their own prosthetic injuries. 

The celebrations continued with students using both green screen and digital effects to collaborate on a disaster movie, Disasterquake, which received its world premiere in front of an appreciative audience at the Young Wolf Film Festival Awards Evening. The final part of the day featured a foley sound session from ‘Into Film’ whizz Dan Clifford, where students used an assortment of everyday materials such as celery and paperclips to recreate and record sounds for their film. 

The Awards Evening was a huge success as students, staff and parents braved the fierce heat to celebrate movies made by students from across the City over the past year. Our well-attired invitees, dressed to the nines, walked the red carpet and joined together to enjoy a wide range of films made by a diverse range of students. 

Members of the Highfields choir and the KS3 performance group set the tone with two terrific performances and the keynote address, given by Simon Brew (author, creator and editor-in-chief of Den of Geek, one of the UK’s most popular film websites) was inspiring. 

Highfields scooped the prestigious best Key Stage 5 Film despite some high quality opposition, and the school also won other awards, including Outstanding Achievement awards for both Year 8’s Jude Aston and Sixth Form student Jagpreet Jhamat.

The Film Festival finished on a high with A Night At the Movies finale, which featured a rousing sing-a-long screening of The Greatest Showman and incorporated this year’s Summer Song & Dance Show, which gave students the chance to showcase their own performance talents in front of a live audience.