Highfields turned red to shine light on Arts industry crisis

Highfields was turned red to shine a light on the crisis faced by the performing arts industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The school was lit up as part of the Light It In Red campaign, which was launched to draw attention to the challenges facing venues in the live events, arts, theatre and music industry. 

Companies, venues and organisations were encouraged to light buildings in red to symbolise the 'red alert' level the industry is under due to restrictions on large-scale events.

The government announced a £1.57billion support package this week after weeks of crisis talks, but the emergency fund will not be able to save every venue.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Extra-Curricular Performance, said: “We were proud to participate in the Light It In Red project to draw attention to the crisis facing the Arts industry.

“With venues closed, nobody is making any money and so some production companies, event support companies, hire companies, venues and freelance staff are under threat.

“The government’s recent announcement has been a very welcome one, but the situation is still concerning.

“As a school, we pride ourselves on nurturing the talents of our young performers, providing students of every ability with the opportunity to take part in a range of activities, workshops, trips and live performances.

“We see that programme as a vital complement to the curriculum, helping to develop well-rounded, socially skilled and confident students, which is why the Arts are so important.

“As we form part of the fabric of Arts across the country, we were delighted to support this campaign.”

The school has embraced the challenge of getting creative during the ‘new normal’, by staging the Lockdown Live Lounge concert, starring Beverley Knight, and the first ever live-streamed Highfields Got Talent contest.  Ms Bishop and her team are now looking at ways of launching the school’s next musical production with social distancing measures.

Students set to wow in Highfields Got Talent contest

Students will be showcasing their talents to impress a panel of judges as part of the school’s first ever Highfields Got Talent competition - with viewers at home given the chance to vote for their favourite act to take the crown.

Dozens of students submitted audition videos over the past two weeks, showing off their skills including dancing, singing, magic and sports trick shots.

The entries have now been whittled down to eight acts who will compete in a live-streamed final on Thursday, 9th July.

Our finalists are Owen Whittle, Anna Tabner, Frankie Holden, Abigail Regan and Paige Cordingley, Jake Farley-Moss, Alex Cooper, Lily Lowery, and Rebecca Street.

Students will perform their acts from home to a panel of three judges - Mr G Tate, Mrs J Brickwood and Mrs S Jevon - as well as two special guests, Mr P Rose and Ms J Parker, as Ant and Dec.

The event will be live streamed on our YouTube channel from 7pm.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Extra-Curricular Performance, who will be presenting the HGT final live from the Lyceum Theatre, said: “During this time of year, our students are normally preparing for a number of live performances, including the annual Summer Showcase.

“Lockdown has put a stop to those events, but we still wanted to give our talented students the chance to showcase their performance skills amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are delighted to be hosting a live HGT competition to give them the chance to do just that. 

“Our fantastic finalists will each perform their acts from home, to a panel of judges in the Lyceum. It is the first time the judges will see any of the acts.

“As the competition is being live streamed, viewers will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite act on the night.

“We are looking forward to another evening of top quality entertainment. Good luck to all of our talented finalists!”

To tune in to the HGT final, click here.

Sporting talent to be honoured during virtual PE Legacy Awards

Highfields will be celebrating sporting talent during lockdown with a live-streamed virtual awards ceremony. 

This year marks the 4th annual PE Legacy Awards, which are held to celebrate the efforts and achievements of the school’s sporty students over the past academic year.

The virtual PE Legacy Awards will take place from 7pm on Wednesday 15th July. You can watch LIVE on our YouTube channel.

A total of 208 students have been nominated in a range of categories linked to the school’s curriculum, including Captain/Leadership & Coaching, Effort & Attitude, Most Improved and Elite. Awards will also be given out for Sports Person of the Year in each year group, as well as Dancer of the Year (for KS3 and KS4), KS5 Contribution Award and Sports Team of the Year. 

Head of PE, Mr C Brickwood, said: “We host the PE Legacy Awards annually to celebrate the sporting achievements of our students, and we did not want them to miss out this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This has been a strange term, but our students had already achieved so much in a range of sporting disciplines before lockdown, and it is important that we celebrate this, even if we can not host the ceremony as we normally would.

“We are overwhelmed with superb commitment, strong leadership and outstanding personal performances at Highfields, and we are looking forward to honouring the individuals and teams who help the school maintain such a successful sports record. 

“Congratulations to all of our nominees.”

Class of 2020 bid farewell as hundreds tune in for live-streamed Leavers Assembly

Year 11 students bid a fond farewell to school life during lockdown when they tuned in for a live-streamed virtual leavers assembly.

More than 200 students and members of staff took part in the assembly, celebrating their time at Highfields as they prepare to move on to the next chapter of their lives.

Funny stories were shared, montages of photographs documenting students’ time at Highfields - from their Year 6 Induction through to Year 11 - were shown, and more than 100 awards were handed out as part of the celebrations to honour special achievements and efforts.

Other novel awards included: ‘most likely to become Prime Minister’, ‘most likely to win a Nobel Prize’, ‘most likely to still be friends at 60’, ’most likely to win the lottery and lose the ticket’ and ‘most likely to be a reality TV star in future’.

The award for ‘most hardworking student’ was voted for by students, and won by Ellie Corbett.

The event was organised by Head of Upper School, Mr D Treble, Year 11 Manager, Mrs C Meese, Raising Achievement Manager, Mr C Rhodes, and Academic Guidance Manager, Mrs B Harrison.

Mr Rhodes said: “This has been the strangest term any of us can remember, but especially so for our students in Year 11 who had been working so hard towards their GCSE exams.

“Coronavirus has obviously disrupted examinations, but we wanted to make sure students still got a proper send off, even if we could not organise a face-to-face event.

“We had over 200 staff and Year 11 students tune in live, with over 100 awards presented on the hottest day of the year thus far!

“The assembly featured awards, funny stories of their time with us and an abundance of pictures right back to their Year 6 Induction with us. 

“Students were presented with certificates and awards that ranged from a water pistol to medal to chocolate brownie. 

“It has been a pleasure to see the students mature, grow and develop into such confident, talented and skilled young adults, and this assembly was a real celebration of their time at Highfields as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.”

The virtual assembly was held weeks after students signed shirts for classmates before schools shut amid the pandemic in March. They will all receive a recorded copy of the event so they are able to reminiscence in years to come. 

Young journalists launch lockdown podcast

Budding journalists from Highfields are making the most of their time in lockdown by launching a podcast discussing news and current affairs.

The school’s ever-expanding team of reporters will be exploring a range of topics, starting with how they’ve coped with life in lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highfields’ Young Journalists project began back in 2016 with the launch of termly newspaper, The H. More than 30 students have showcased their journalistic talents as part of the editorial team, creating engaging features and opinion pieces covering a broad range of social and political topics.

In 2017, the journalistic ambitions of the team saw the successful launch of the school's very own news channel, HTV, producing a weekly episode featuring news and sports stories from across the school.

Members of the team are now regrouping to host a series of podcasts. Students will meet at the start of each week via Microsoft Teams to discuss and plan their podcast sessions before they are recorded and edited by English teacher, Miss T Banks, and uploaded to the school's YouTube Channel. 

Each series will contain five 30-45 minute podcasts that will be published fortnightly. 

For the first episode, our talented team welcomed Head of Sixth Form, Mr S Pycroft, and MFL teacher, Mrs A Darby, to discuss how they've found life in lockdown so far.

All podcasts will be available through our new Media Hub, along with all editions of the school’s newspaper, The H.

To listen to our first lockdown podcast, click the image below:

Alumni concert starring Beverley Knight raises £1k for NHS

Highfields’ virtual alumni concert featuring global superstar, Beverley Knight, has raised £1,000 for NHS workers.

The school’s Lyceum Theatre was transformed into a makeshift TV studio for the Lockdown Live Lounge alumni concert, which saw the soul singer and other talented former Highfields students perform from their homes.

The concert was available to watch live for free on the school’s YouTube Channel, but generous staff, students and parents donated money through our online Box Office for the NHS Relief Fund.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Extra-Curricular Performance who presented the concert live from the Lyceum, said: “I had been hoping to organise an alumni concert for a while, and was delighted that so many of our talented former students agreed to perform in our Live Lockdown concert to spread a message of hope and love.

“Although our live-streamed concert was free to watch on our school YouTube channel, we gave people the opportunity to donate money for the NHS Relief Fund. We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of people, helping us to raise £1,000 to support frontline NHS workers in the fight against Covid-19.

“It was a fantastic evening of top quality entertainment. I would like to say a huge thank you to all of our wonderful performers, as well as everyone who watched and donated.”

Bursting onto the camera to open the concert, Beverley - who often publicly credits Highfields for encouraging her to nurture the phenomenal voice and musical talent that has seen her become one of the world’s most celebrated and loved singers -  said: “I am so excited to be singing for you guys, all my Highfields crew!”

The three-time MOBO Award winner performed a stunning version of Colored Woman, from Memphis the Musical, in which has previously starred in the West End, and closed the concert with her own song, Keep This Fire Burning.

She was joined in the virtual concert by West End stars Harveen Mann, Tom Xander and Simbi Akande, as well as a number of more recent Highfields leavers, including Jessica Burgess, Jacob Kholi, Jess Olford and Jordannne Farley-Moss. 

For more information about the NHS Relief Fund, click here. The concert is still available to watch on our YouTube Channel, and donations can still be made to the NHS Relief Fund here.

Makeshift TV studio created to stream alumni concert

Highfields’ Lyceum Theatre has been transformed into a makeshift TV studio ready for a live-streamed alumni concert starring soul superstar, Beverley Knight.

The virtual lockdown concert will see the world-famous singer and other talented former Highfields students perform from their homes.

Highfields Head of Extra-Curricular Performance, Ms Sharon Bishop, will present the concert from 7pm on Thursday 18th June.

The concert will be available to watch live on our YouTube Channel. 

Three-time MOBO Award-winning Beverley - who has become a huge hit on stage with critically-acclaimed leading performances in The Bodyguard, Memphis the Musical and Cats - often publicly credits Highfields for encouraging her to nurture the phenomenal voice and musical talent that has seen her become one of the world’s most celebrated and loved singers. 

She will be joined in the virtual concert by West End stars Harveen Mann, Tom Xander and Simbi Akande, as well as a number of more recent Highfields leavers, including Jessica Burgess, Jacob Kholi, Jess Olford and Jordannne Farley-Moss. 

Ms Bishop said: “I have been hoping to organise an alumni concert for a while, and wondered if in these strange times our talented former students might perform a song for Highfields students with a message of hope and love.

“We have so many talented former students, including the fabulous Beverley Knight, and I am over the moon that so many of them have agreed to perform for this virtual lockdown concert.

“Our makeshift studio is now set up ready to stream the concert, and we’re looking forward to a fantastic evening of top quality entertainment.”

The lockdown concert is free to watch, but Highfields is raising money for the NHS Relief Fund, which supports frontline NHS workers in the fight against Covid-19. You can donate by purchasing a ‘ticket’ through our online box office.

For more information about NHS Relief, click here

VOTE HERE: Budding sports journalist Jude in running for prestigious award

Budding sports journalist, Jude Aston, has been nominated for a prestigious football vlogging award for the second year running.

Jude has made it through to the final shortlist of the Football Content Awards, in the ‘best young content creator’ category. 

Dubbed ‘The Oscars of the Football Content Industry,’ the event - originally founded as the Football Blogging Awards in 2012 - have been staged at some of the country’s most famous sporting grounds, including The Ethiad and Old Trafford.

The awards honour individual bloggers and vloggers who devote their spare time to their channels and fans, along with the lucky creators who have grown from humble beginnings to establish their brands as recognised outlets in the UK and beyond.

Year 10 student Jude, who has cerebral palsy, runs his own YouTube channel called Jude's Journey, which features interviews with numerous stars including Steven Gerrard, Adama Traoré, Jack Grealish, Bully, Brian Little, Matt Murray and Steve Bruce.

Aston Villa supporter, Jude, said: “I’ve always had a fond interest in creating YouTube videos, and have loved creating content. My channel, Jude’s Journey, was established in 2016, however It wasn’t till 2018 when I started documenting my Journey to the media world. 

“I saw my YouTube channel as a perfect platform to showcase my video and producing skills.

“Sometimes I still don’t even know how I get such high-profile interviews!

“I do feel very privileged. I have been very lucky and fortunate over these two years and appreciate everyone who has given up their time to support me on my journey. For me though, it’s not about who I interview it’s about doing something I love and proving that you can still do it no matter the barrier.

"I am really excited to have been nominated for a Football Content Award for the second year running. It would be greatly appreciated if you could vote for me!”

This year’s event had been due to take place in May, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic until November 19th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Please support Jude’s nomination by clicking here and selecting ‘Jude Aston’ in the ‘Best Young Content Creator’ category, sponsored by Mitre. Voting closes at midnight on Thursday 18th June.

Click here to access Jude’s Journey.

Highfields to host virtual leavers assembly

Highfields will bid a fond farewell to Year 11 students from lockdown with its first ever virtual leavers assembly.

The virtual assembly will take place from 1.30pm on Wednesday 24th June, giving the class of 2020 the chance to celebrate their school life as they prepare to move on to the next chapter.

As part of the celebrations, awards will be handed out to honour special achievements or particular events, whilst old photographs and videos will be shown documenting students’ time at Highfields.

The event has been organised by Head of Upper School, Mr D Treble, Year 11 Manager, Mrs C Meese, Raising Achievement Manager, Mr C Rhodes, and Academic Guidance Manager, Mrs B Harrison.

Students will be sent an email via Microsoft Teams to log in to the virtual assembly. Many are planning to wear shirts they signed for classmates before schools shut in March.

Mr Rhodes said: “This has been the strangest term any of us can remember, but especially so for our students in Year 11 who had been working so hard towards their GCSE exams.

“Coronavirus has obviously disrupted examinations, but we wanted to make sure students still got a proper send off, even if we could not organise a face-to-face event.

“It will be a celebration of their time at Highfields, with prizes awarded for special achievements. 

“It has been a pleasure to see them mature, grow and develop into such confident, talented and skilled young adults as they move on to the next chapter in their lives.”

Despite examinations being cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, GCSE results will still come out on Thursday 20th August.

Beverley Knight to star in virtual Highfields Alumni Concert

Soul superstar, Beverley Knight, will lead a virtual concert featuring talented Highfields alumni to spread cheer, love and hope to the school’s students and staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

The virtual lockdown concert will see the world-famous singer and other talented former Highfields students perform from their homes.

The concert will then be put together as a video and shared with current students and staff.

Three-time MOBO Award-winning Beverley - who has become a huge hit on stage with critically-acclaimed leading performances in The Bodyguard, Memphis the Musical and Cats - often publicly credits Highfields for encouraging her to nurture the phenomenal voice and musical talent that has seen her become one of the world’s most celebrated and loved singers. 

She will be joined in the virtual concert by West End stars Harveen Mann, Tom Xander and Simbi Akande.

After leaving Highfields, Harveen trained at the Royal Academy of Music before enjoying stage success in a number of leading roles, including Bend It Like Beckham in the West End, Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’ and Peter Pan.

Tom has also enjoyed a successful stage career after nurturing his acting talents at Highfields, moving on to study at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts before making history as the first ever British actor to be cast in the leading role of Elder Cunningham in Book of Mormon at the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre.

Simbi also moved on to Mountview after Highfields, before appearing in a string of professional stage productions, including Company, Fiddler on the Roof, Show Boat, and most recently The Prince of Egypt in the West End.

A number of more recent Highfields leavers who are hoping to pursue careers in the Arts will also be performing, including Jessica Burgess, Jacob Kholi, Jess Olford and Jordannne Farley-Moss. 

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Extra Curricular Performance, said: “I have been hoping to organise an alumni concert for a while, and wondered if in these strange times our talented former students might perform a song for Highfields students with a message of hope and love.

“We have so many talented former students, including the fabulous Beverley Knight, and I am over the  moon that so many of them have agreed to perform for this virtual lockdown concert.

“We will put the concert together as a video to share with the students who are really missing contact and craving connection.”

Beverley’s contribution to the virtual Highfields concert comes after she launched the music project, NHS Relief, alongside Dr Ranj Singh to support frontline NHS workers in the fight against Covid-19.

She joined up with more than 100 other musicians and UK artists, including Joss Stone, to record a cover of Lean On Me by Bill Withers. The team of singers, musicians, choirs and video editors worked in isolation to help produce the song.

All of the proceeds are going to ‘NHS Charities Together’ - a culmination of NHS charities - and You Okay Doc?, a charity for the mental health and wellbeing of doctors and healthcare professionals.

Beverley, whose mother used to be a nurse, said her family ties to the NHS had inspired her to lead the project.  For more information about NHS Relief, click here