Campbell's Wolves shirt honours commitment on course

A student has been presented with an extra special gift from Wolves in recognition of his work on an educational programme run by the club.

Campbell Hall has been taking part in the Premier League Inspires mentor programme, which is delivered by the Wolves Foundation.

Campbell, who is now in Year 10, was presented with a pre-match Wolves shirt in recognition of his commitment and work on the programme during the last academic year.

The programme is for children and young people aged between 11 and 25. The 24-week course aims to raise aspirations, attainment and attendance in school.

The programme focuses on those who are marginalised or at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and early adulthood, allowing them to develop personal skills, knowledge and attitude to succeed in life.

Highfields became involved in the programme when it was first launched in 2019 and is continuing its involvement this year with current Year 10 students.

Mr P Rose, Highefields’ Head of Middle School and Careers Leader, said: “It was great for Campbell’s commitment and efforts on the programme to be recognised with such a generous gift from Wolves.

“The programme inspires young people to develop knowledge and skills that they can take on into their lives and future careers. We are delighted to be involved with the project to support our students and ensure they reach their full potential.”

Covid-19 statement

Year 11 students have been sent home from school and told to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution after one tested positive for Covid-19.

Live lessons are now being streamed online via Microsoft Teams for students in the year group so they can continue their curriculum from home, following their scheduled daily timetable.

As school reopening was staggered for individual year groups to reduce contact between students, Highfields remains open to all other students and staff.

Headteacher, Mr Graham Tate, said: “We were made aware that a Year 11 student had tested positive for Covid-19 and made the decision to quarantine all students in the year group for 14 days following advice from Public Health England.

“This is incredibly disappointing considering how long students have been out of school and how pleased they have been to get back to school. But safety must always be our top priority.

“If any of the students or staff develop Covid-19 symptoms they need to contact the NHS Track and Trace system and follow their advice. It is also vital that parents and carers do not send their child to school if they or anyone in the household is showing any symptoms of Covid-19.

“Please be assured that the safety of our students is our utmost priority and we will continue to keep parents and carers updated.”

Highfields held staggered re-openings for individual year groups last week before all students and staff returned on Monday September 7. A host of additional safety measures have been put in place that are designed to minimise contact between students, reduce numbers on site at any one time, reduce the amount of movement around the site and restrict students to as small a group as possible.

Arrival, leaving, lunch and break times have been staggered, whilst a one-way staircase system is now in place. A wide range of practical measures have also been implemented, including the requirement for each student to carry their own personal bottle of hand sanitiser. Soap in toilets is being checked and replenished throughout each day, whilst hand sanitiser stations are in place at the entrance to the school and a strict daily cleaning routine introduced.

A spokesman for the City of Wolverhampton Council said: “Public Health England is supporting schools locally and across the country with the response to single confirmed cases of coronavirus in school attendees.

“Where cases are identified, Public Health England, the City of Wolverhampton Council and the school in question will work closely with staff and pupils to implement the appropriate steps to manage any potential exposure. 

“We are aware of a few individual cases among the school population, and are happy that appropriate steps are being taken to allow schools to manage these situations safely. 

“There are no current outbreaks in schools, where we have evidence of 2 or more linked cases, and although individual cases may arise in school settings from time to time, these cases may well be a result of transmission in the community rather than in school.”

Students raise roof at creative Summer School

Performers gave up two weeks of their holidays to start rehearsing for their upcoming production of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Fifteen students took part in the creative summer school, which was run with strict social distancing measures in place.

They perfected their vocal, acting and dancing talents during the summer school by recreating scenes from the classic musical.

Talented young performers from Year 9 through to Sixth Form will take to the stage in the showcase, which will be live streamed to audiences from the Lyceum Theatre around Christmas.

School musical productions are usually open to every student who wants to take part, but because of the strict restrictions on numbers this year, Ms Bishop emailed performers who appeared in the 2019 Addams Family production and worked on a ‘first come first served’ policy. Although summer school places were limited to 15 students, it is hoped more performers will be involved in the final production.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Performance, said: “The students worked very hard during an intensive two weeks of rehearsals and did a great job of bringing a number of scenes from the much-loved musical to life.

“The show must go on, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and after such a successful summer school, we are now looking forward to continuing rehearsals once school returns.”

It is Ms Bishop’s third time directing the show at Highfields, albeit the first with social distancing measures in place.

She added: “It will be a challenge, but we have an amazingly talented bunch of young performers and I am sure we will put together another amazing production.”

Based on the ‘coat of many colours’ story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book, the show, by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, is one of the world’s best loved musicals.

Highfields achieves some of highest ever GCSE results

Highfields was today celebrating some of the highest ever GCSE results achieved by the school. 

Around 80% of students attained a standard pass (Grade 4 or above) in both English and Maths, with more than half achieving a strong pass (Grade 5 or above) in both subjects.

Half of students achieved at least one 9-7 grade, with a third attaining three or more 9-7 grades.

Mr D Treble, Head of Upper School, said: “We are delighted to have achieved such a fantastic set of GCSE results in exceptional circumstances. 

“We have been so impressed by the way our students have continued to work from home throughout the past few months and although it has been disappointing for them that they couldn’t sit their exams after all of their efforts over months, they should be very proud of what they have achieved.

“Today’s results mean a huge number of students will now get the chance to move on to their first choice of next step destination, including many who will be moving on to continue their studies in our Sixth Form.

“As always, it has been a team effort, and I would like to offer my congratulations to all students, parents and staff on this fantastic set of results. I wish every one of our students the very best of luck going forward as they move on to the next chapter of their lives."

For the first time ever, students across the country are being awarded entirely based on Centre assessed grades - given following a rigorous moderation process involving teaching staff, heads of departments, Senior Leadership Team members and external moderators - after exams were scrapped amid the coronavirus pandemic.

There was anger last week during A-Level results when grades were awarded using a statistical algorithm created by exam regulator Ofqual. But the government made a U-turn ahead of today’s GCSE results meaning the statistical grades only come into play if they are higher than the assessed markings.

Special mention goes to Georgia Derrick, who achieved eight Grade 9s and three Grade 8s, and Sneha Rai, who achieved seven Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and one Grade 7.

Eleanor Corbett attained seven Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and one Grade 6, while Shreya Mistry achieved four Grade 9s, five Grade 8s and two Grade 7s. Jacob Spinks has achieved four Grade 9s, four Grade 8s, two Grade 7s and one Grade 6.

In addition, Hebert Toro Gouveia, Ryan Patel, Jamima Ali, Holly Wilson-Lees, Ethan Birch and David Ehigie deserve special mention for making outstanding progress to achieve excellent results.

Students celebrate A-Level results

Students were today celebrating positive A-Level results - with more than 100 students now preparing to go to university.

Mr Steve Pycroft, Head of Sixth Form, said: “We are so proud of our students. It’s been a very strange year, with coronavirus and lockdown meaning they didn’t get to sit their exams, but they have done a brilliant job.

“They have achieved some fantastic grades, and many of them will now be moving on to university to take the next step in fulfilling their career dreams.

“We wish every one of our students all the very best for the future.”

There were a number of standout individual performances.

Special mention goes to Yuvraj Bhagotra, who got a clean sweep of A*s in Maths, Further Maths and English Literature, and is now preparing to move on to Oxford University to study Maths, as well as Sofia Kler-Sangha, who achieved an A* in Chemistry, A* in Maths and A in Biology, and will be going on to study Medicine at Cambridge University. 

Daksh Sharma is now looking forward to pursuing a career in dentistry from Birmingham University, whilst Harjot Matharu will also be moving Birmingham University to study Medical Engineering. Emily Longman will be studying Philosophy and Psychology at Durham.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which cancelled all exams, grades were awarded following a rigorous moderation process involving teaching staff, heads of departments and members of the Senior Leadership Team. Centre Assessed grades were then sent to exam boards before being subject to an external moderation.

However, just a day before results were due to be emailed out, the Department for Education announced a last-minute ‘triple lock’, which means students could have whichever result is highest from their estimated grades or mock exams, which were taken in school before lockdown, or exams in the autumn.

Headteacher, Mr Graham Tate, said: “This year has already been the most difficult any of us has ever experienced, with all exams cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, before the government announcement was made about changes to grading assessments.

“This means some grades that are being sent out to students today may be changed, if they choose to appeal based on results achieved in their mock exams. We are still awaiting all of the information from the government, so can understand if students feel some confusion.

“We will be working together with all of our students as the information regarding grading becomes clearer.

“Despite this late change and the current circumstances, our students have achieved really positive results, with some incredible individual performances.”

Students urged to send in results day celebration photos

GCSE and A-Level students are being asked to send in photographs and videos of their celebrations when results are emailed out.

A-Level results will go out on Thursday 13th August, with GCSE results being emailed out a week later on Thursday 20th August.

Annual in-school results day celebrations have been cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but students are being encouraged to share their lockdown celebrations by sending in photographs and videos for the school website and newspaper.

Mr D Treble, Head of Upper School, said: “Given that students will receive their results via email, this will limit opportunities for photographs and videos, the anticipation of opening envelopes and the atmosphere of receiving results in front of peers, parents and staff.

“In light of this, we are encouraging students to video or photograph the opening of their results live. Members of family or friends can be present for this and share in the experience of results.”

All exams were cancelled this year due to the pandemic, but Highfields followed a rigorous moderation process involving teaching staff, heads of departments and members of the Senior Leadership Team before submitting Centre Assessed grades to exam boards. These grades were then subject to an external moderation.

Careers Advisors will be available in school for three days after each set of results, whilst dates have now been agreed for students wishing to to resit exams to improve their grades.

A-Level resits will take place from October 5th-24, whilst GCSE resits will take place from November 2nd-20th.

Celebration photographs and videos can be emailed to resultsday@hswv.co.uk

School to reopen in September with extra safety measures

School will reopen its doors in September, with staggered lesson times and additional hygiene precautions announced to ensure the safety of all students and staff.

Students in Years 7 and 11 will return to school on Thursday 3rd September, with students from Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 to attend on Friday 4th September. All year groups will attend school from Monday 7th September.

Headteacher, Mr G Tate, said: “As we come to the end of one of the strangest terms in education that I have ever experienced, I am pleased to be able to share our plans for the opening of school in September. 

“Whilst we have continued to be impressed with the way that students, supported by their parents, have continued to make progress by working hard at home, we are so looking forward to being able to welcome all students back to school after the holidays. 

“I am sure that you are aware that the guidance for schools, published recently, is for all students to return to school, full-time in September and this is what we expect to be able to accommodate - albeit with some significant changes to ensure student and staff safety. 

“As you would expect, we have had to make many changes to the way that we organise the school to ensure that it is as safe as it possibly can be for both staff and students. There are several reasons why these changes have had to be made based on the most recent guidance. They are all intended to minimise contact between students as much as is possible to reduce the numbers of students on site at any one time, to reduce the amount of movement around the site, to reduce the number of students arriving to or leaving the site at any one time, and to allow us to restrict students to as small a group as possible whilst still being able to offer a broad and balanced curriculum.”

As part of the changes, year groups will have different start and finishing times, whilst breaks and lunch times will be shorter and staggered.

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will arrive at school from 08:25 for an 08:40 start, with a morning break from 10:10am-10:20am and lunch from 11:50-12:15. The school day for these students will finish at 13:45.

For full details of Autumn term arrangements for students in Year 7 click here, Year 8 click here and Year 9 click here.

Years 10 and 11 will arrive from 10:15 for a 10:30am start. Morning break will be from 12:10-12:15, lunch from 13:05-13:30, and afternoon break from 14:20-14:30. The school day will finish at 16.10.

For full details of Autumn term arrangements for students in Year 10 click here and Year 11 click here.

Sixth Form students will start their day at 8:50, with a 10-minute break from 10:20-10:30 and lunch from 13:55-14:20, with the day finishing at 16:00. For full details of Autumn term arrangements for students in Year 12 click here, and Year 13 click here.

Students must arrive during their allocated time slots and go straight to the room of their first lesson, and then leave school immediately after their last lesson.

A wide range of additional safety measures will also be implemented, including the requirement for each student to carry their own personal bottle of hand sanitiser. Soap in toilets will be checked and replenished throughout the day, whilst hand sanitiser stations will be in place at the entrance to the school and monitored to ensure that students use them as they enter and leave the building. 

The school will also provide a supply of tissues and dedicated disposal bins in each classroom, as well as Virucidal wipes to clean desks and chairs at the start of each lesson, whilst a strict daily cleaning routine will be in place in line with government guidelines.

Mr Tate added: “I appreciate that these changes to the timetable may well require families to make different arrangements in terms of childcare and travel plans, so I wanted to give you as much notice as possible to allow you to make provision for this. 

“Whilst recent months have shown us that things can change very quickly, I believe it is highly likely that these changes will be in place at least for the whole of the Autumn term. We will of course update you if there does need to be any amendments to this plan.”

Letters detailing all of the plans for the school’s September reopening have been emailed out to parents and carers, and are also available to view in the ‘letters and publications’ section of the school website here.

Joseph announced as school's latest musical production

Highfields has today announced its latest musical production - the school’s first ever socially distanced version of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Talented young performers from Year 9 through to Sixth Form will take to the stage in the showcase, which will be live streamed to audiences from the Lyceum Theatre.

Rehearsals will kick off with a two-week summer school from August 3rd-14th, featuring 15 students.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Highfields’ Head of Extra Curricular Performance, who will be leading the summer school and directing the show, said she was looking forward to rehearsals kicking off, albeit with strict guidelines in place.

It will be her third time directing the much-loved musical at Highfields since she started teaching at the school in 1999.

She said: “We are delighted to announce our latest musical.

“The show must go on, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and so we are all looking forward to rehearsals getting under way during our summer school.

“This will be my third time directing the show at Highfields, albeit the first with strict social distancing measures in place. It will be a challenge, but we have an amazingly talented bunch of young performers and I am sure we will put together another amazing production.”

School musical productions are usually open to every student who wants to take part, but because of the strict restrictions on numbers this year, Ms Bishop emailed performers who appeared in the 2019 Addams Family production and worked on a ‘first come first served’ policy. Although summer school places are limited to 15 students, it is hoped more performers will be involved in the final production.

After months of rehearsals, the show will be live streamed from the Lyceum around Christmas.

Based on the ‘coat of many colours’ story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book, the show, by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, is one of the world’s best loved musicals.

Sporting talent honoured during live-streamed awards ceremony

Highfields celebrated sporting talent during lockdown with a live-streamed virtual awards ceremony. 

This year marked 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 took place from 7pm on Wednesday 15th July. 

A total of 208 students were 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, which was won by the Year 10 Boys’ football team.

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 could 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 proud to honour the individuals and teams who help the school maintain such a successful sports record.”

Mr Brickwood and Mrs J Brickwood hand delivered trophies to all 35 winners.

Mr Brickwood added: “It was great to hear that so many families watched and celebrated their child's success together. The feedback for the evening was overwhelmingly positive after the apprehension we had over the prospect of a live feed going wrong!”

Watch the video from the awards ceremony below:

Year 6 students get taste of Highfields during induction days

Students due to start in Year 7 in September were given a taste of Highfields during socially distanced induction days during lockdown.

Students experienced secondary school life, taking part in typical lessons, learning how to access the school’s IT network, enjoying outdoor orientation activities and touring the building.

Induction days took place over four years to ensure students maintained social distancing rules amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Miss J Parker, Head of Lower School, said: “At Highfields we believe that starting secondary school should be a time of great excitement and anticipation of all the opportunities that lie ahead. We also realise though that some students can feel nervous about this change it is really important that they spend time getting to know the building, the layout of the school and most importantly meet their peers and some members of staff.

“We were delighted to be able to invite Year 6 students into school for a one-day induction. Due to the size of the year group and to ensure effective social distancing, students were invited in by the primary school they attend, with the induction process split to take place over four days.

“Throughout the day students were separated into smaller groups where they moved between a range of activities. These groups mirrored the ‘Bubbles’ students are in at their primary school although they were expected to maintain two metre social distancing at all times. 

“Students experienced a typical lesson where they were set some transition work based on a reading book given to them on the day. They also took part in an IT lesson where they were set up on the school IT network, given their login details to access Office 365 and learned how to use the school email system. Students also took home a pack of enrichment activities to prepare them for a really effective start in September.”

Parents would usually have been invited into school for a presentation with Headteacher, Mr G Tate, Deputy Headteacher, Mr A Cheetham and Miss Parker, but a ‘virtual’ presentation video was created instead, which can be viewed here.