Christmas at Highfields – All wrapped up!

To end this extraordinary year, Highfields has embraced Christmas celebrations with the aim of boosting the Christmas spirit and giving everyone a joyful lift as we head towards the new year.

Highfields’ embrace of the Christmas spirit has been visible from afar, with lights in the windows at the front of school for the very first time. Once in school, the large Christmas tree in Reception and other decorations within Learning Schools certainly make the school feel festive. Whilst the lights are debuting, our Highfields Christmas tree is always up this time of year; even in this most unusual of years. Near the front of school there is also a donation site for food and other items in aid of the Good Shepherd Ministry because ultimately; without the spirit of giving, the spirit of Christmas rings hollow. This generosity is especially important in a year which has seen many people’s living standards decline.

Leading these incredibly charitable efforts is Mrs Hartshorne who told us, “Staff and students have been incredibly generous. Once again, there have been a variety of donations of food and hygiene items, and local people will truly benefit. The Good Shepherd do incredible work helping to support people with various personal, social and health needs, and without doubt will make good use of everything Highfields have donated.”

In the Communications Learning School, a Christmas Tree of Books has been established in the Library aiming to inspire interest in reading whilst encompassing Christmas vibes. Alongside all other Learning Schools, a staff sing-along competition was a definite highlight of Highfields’ Christmas activities, leaving students thoroughly entertained. The winners were announced at the end of the Highfields Got Talent show which is available to watch on our YouTube channel. The competition celebrated the talents of our students from Year 7 through to Sixth Form. After receiving many auditions from students across the school, the judges; Mr Tate, Mrs Brickwood and Mrs Jevon, narrowed them down to 8 finalists; Anna Tabner, Paige and Millie, Alex Hill, The Three Amigos, James Casey, Effie Bladen-Hayes, Lilly Lowery and The Snowflakes. They then gave a score to each act which decided their position on the leader board. The top 3 acts are now in the public vote, meaning you will decide the winner.

Also on the school’s YouTube channel is a carol service, presented in partnership with St. Bart’s Church. This featured the Highfields Head Team reading passages from the Bible that are at the heart of Christmas. Ms Bishop, Head of Performance, told us, “The carol concert was watched by over 200 people and was a delightful evening in these challenging times.”

Finally, this week the winning entry of this year’s Christmas card competition was chosen. The design was hand drawn by Alex Hill in Year 7; Alex’s talents are endless! It was digitalised and then shared with staff and students.

We have certainly not held back on Christmas cheer this year. Mr Tate said, “Despite the frustrations of this term, I am very proud of how well we have all coped. We have seen an incredible amount of change and challenge and yet we have been able to keep school operating relatively normally. This would not have happened without the energy, commitment and dedication of staff, the resilience and responsible attitude of students and great support from you all at home. I think we all thoroughly deserve a good Christmas break and can look forward to the new year with real hope and optimism.”

Indeed, at Highfields the Christmas festivities were as extensive as ever and we hope that the smiles, that were more infectious than anything at Highfields this Christmas, can continue into the new year.

Written By Joseph Regan - Year 13

End of Term Celebration for Year 11

Students from Year 11 who achieved an all-green on their most recent progress review were invited to a special ‘Crème de la Crème’ lunch. It is more important than ever that our Year 11 students put the effort into their studies and ensure they work hard in lessons to progress towards their targets.

Titled ‘The school of achievers’, Upper School students must live up to the high outcomes set in previous years. With only 20 school weeks until the summer exams start it is crucial that students go into the new year with their heads focused on achieving the best grades they can. Events such as this really motivate students to do so, as they are rewarded for their efforts.

Students enjoyed a buffet lunch alongside ‘cake and cordial’ and all received a gift from the Upper School Team. Mr Treble, Head of Upper School said “These students thoroughly deserve this special treat, they have worked so hard during what has been a difficult term with many of them having to isolate on multiple occasions. We are all very proud of these students for achieving an all-green progress review and they are most certainly on track for success in their summer exams”

The show goes on!

Hundreds tuned in to watch talented performers take to the stage in Highfields’ live-streamed musical production of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

The cast was delighted to showcase their talents to audiences at home - including Beverley Knight - with their version of the much-loved production, despite the coronavirus pandemic putting a stop to crowds in the school’s Lyceum theatre.

The Performance department was able to secure an extra special prop for the showcase on December 5 - the dreamcoat worn by Joe Sugg when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. And they were equally delighted to have received a £4,751 grant from the Co-op Community Fund to pay for brand new mics for the cast. The mics will now be used for all upcoming performances at the school.

Performers gave up two weeks of their summer holidays back in August to start rehearsing for production, but the packed rehearsal schedule had to be ripped up due to strict Covid-19 measures.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Director of Performance, said staging the show despite the hurdles the team had to overcome, was one of the proudest moments of her career.

She added: “Thank you to everyone who watched the show and for all of the warm messages of support.  

“We are so proud of the cast, some of whom had only five days of rehearsal.  

“It has been really challenging at times, but last night was one of my proudest moments in 25 years teaching without a doubt!”

Among those watching the performance was soul superstar Beverley Knight, who played the role of Narrator in a production of Joseph when she was a student at the school.

She sent the cast her congratulations via video message. In it, she said: “Yes, Highfields! Job well done! I watched it, I sang along. I thought you were all marvellous.”

If you missed the live show tickets are now available to purchase to watch the recording. Click here for more information.

Tickets on sale for much-loved musical

Tickets have gone on sale for this year’s musical production, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, which will be live-streamed to audiences next month.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic hindering extra-curricular activities and rehearsals, the show must go on - and performers are delighted to showcase their talents with their version of the much-loved production.

The show will be streamed live from the Lyceum Theatre from 7.30pm on Saturday, December 5.

The Performance department has even been able to secure an extra special prop for the showcase - the dreamcoat worn by Joe Sugg when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.

Performers gave up two weeks of their summer holidays back in August to start rehearsing for production, but the packed rehearsal schedule had to be ripped up due to strict Covid-19 measures.

Despite this, the team are confident of staging another show-stopping production.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Extra-Curricular Performance who directs all of the school’s acclaimed productions, said: “Staging our productions always takes an enormous amount of commitment and hard work, and this year we have been faced with the added challenge of the ongoing pandemic.

“We haven’t been able to rehearse as we usually would, but we’re not going to let that stop us! The show must go on, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, so there’s been a lot of work going on from homes to ensure we can put on another fantastic show.

“We have an amazingly talented bunch of young performers and we hope to see you all tuning in from the comfort of your homes for an evening of top entertainment.”

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. 

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

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.

Hundreds of pounds raised for Children in Need

Students and staff wore fancy dress to raise hundreds of pounds for Children in Need.

Fundraisers wore Pudsey t-shirts, fluffy ears and onesies to raise more than £600 for the campaign.

Highfields throws its weight behind the Children in Need campaign every year and has staged a Mannequin Challenge and danceathon in the past.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the school wasn't able to host its usual crowd fundraising challenges, but students and staff still donated generously to the cause to wear their charity-themed costumes.

Ms J Parker, Head of Lower School who organises the annual fundraiser, said: “Although we weren’t able to stage our usual activities, I have been overwhelmed with the response to the campaign.

“It was wonderful to see so many people dress up and raise so much money for this worthy cause.”

Children in Need is the BBC’s charity which works to change the lives of disabled children and young people in the UK. It has raised more than £972 million since it was launched in 1980.

People can still donate to the cause through ParentPay over the weekend.

Thousands of pounds raised for charities

Highfields has donated thousands of pounds to charities and good causes over the past year after hosting a series of fundraising events.

Generous students and staff annually hold a number of fundraisers to pull in funds for a variety of causes.

Among them is Compton Care, which has received £3,055.10.

The Wolverhampton-based organisation, which provides support for people living with or caring for someone with an incurable illness - has presented the school with a certificate of appreciation and thanked students and staff for their fundraising efforts.

Spokeswoman Leonie Hudson said: “Thank you so much for your generous donation of £3,055.10, raised by Highfields staff and students. Your donation could pay for four people to receive much needed care on our in patient care unit. 

"This is such a precious gift to give to our patients and their families. You are helping to provide vital care at a time when people need it the most.”

Fundraisers also recently donated money to wear purple for the day to raise awareness of domestic violence against women. The event raised £500 for Women’s Aid.

Other donations include £361.02 to Macmillan Cancer Suppport; £1,355.49 to Save the Children; £1727.16 to Children in Need;£394.27 to Comic Relief; £319.51 to NSPCC and £121.77 to World Book Day.

A live-streamed lockdown concert featuring soul superstar Beverley Knight - a former Highfields student - as well as other talented former students also raised £1000 for the NHS Relief Fund to support frontline health workers during the Covid pandemic.

Popular History clubs are relaunched

Highfields’ History department has relaunched two of its most popular extra-curricular clubs for students.

The History Book Club, which is available to all students in Years 7-11, and the Sixth Form History Scholarship Programme, open to all A Level Historians and any Sixth Form student with a wider interest in History are now back up and running.

Both clubs promote student engagement with reading, whether that be historical fiction or the work of the historian through academic scholarship. 

Head of History, Miss J Tappenden, said: “Life in school may look slightly different this academic year, but the History Department are determined not to let anything get in the way of providing their usual offerings to students.  

"After a busy first half term settling into new routines and finding our feet in the classroom again, we are delighted to be relaunching two of its most popular extra-curricular clubs

“We have placed reading and the use of historical scholarship at the very heart of our History curriculum. We want our students to understand that history is seen through the eyes of those who wrote it, and that reading around their subject and taking in as many different perspectives as possible deepens their understanding of historical events and history as an academic discipline. 

“Our curriculum is under constant review and construction.  I believe that a great curriculum is never completely finished; it will always develop and broaden, as does historical knowledge and scholarship.  

“We want our students to understand that as well as being their teachers, we too are learners and historians, and that’s where the concepts for both History Book Club and the Sixth Form History Scholarship Programme came from. We wanted our students to be able to work with us and develop alongside us by engaging with reading.”

For the first time ever, both clubs will focus on the work of the same Historian at the same time.  

As October was Black History Month, the clubs were launched with the work of British Historian David Olusoga, who has dedicated so much of his work to telling the stories of people of colour, where they have been previously misrepresented or left out entirely from history.  

Miss Tappended added: “We hope that this will send a powerful message to all of our students; that Black History is British History and therefore holds a significant place within our inclusive curriculum, to be learned and celebrated well beyond the passing of October each year. 

Both clubs launched on Monday 2nd November - The Sixth Form History Scholarship Programme with ‘Black and British – A Forgotten History’, and History Book Club with ‘Black and British – a short, essential history’, the latter being the latest publication from Olusoga to make his work more accessible to a younger audience.

 Both clubs were highly successful last academic year, and are being run on Microsoft Teams this year to ensure their safe return.

Students are able to engage with each other and the staff using the chat forum to discuss their reading, and live meetings will be scheduled on occasion so that all involved can discuss what they have taken from the books so far. 

Students from Years 7-11 who wish to be involved in History Book Club should email Miss Tappenden (jtappenden@hswv.co.uk), whilst Sixth Form students wishing to participate in the History Scholarship programme should email Miss Harrison (kharrison@hswv.co.uk)

School awarded national Music Mark

Highfields has received a Music Mark to honour the commitment it shows to providing students with high quality music education.

The school was nominated to receive the honour by Wolverhampton Music Service for the 2020/21 academic year.

Music Mark is the UK Association for Music Education, which champions and supports access to music for all children and young people. 

As a Music Mark school, Highfields now has access to a wealth of additional resources to support its musical curriculum, as well as the opportunity to attend events and online conferences.

Headteacher Mr G Tate said: “We are really pleased that our commitment to the arts, and particularly music, has been recognised by this national mark.

“We offer a broad and balanced curriculum and recognise the importance of providing opportunities for students to embrace their enjoyment of music and nurture their talents.”

As well as a broad music curriculum, the school offers many extra-curricular musical opportunities for students, including orchestra, choir, individual instrument tutoring and bands. Students are also given the chance to showcase their musical talents in numerous live performances both in school and out in the community.

Highfields says #HelloYellow for mental health awareness

Staff brought a burst of colour into the classroom as part of a day raising awareness of mental health.

Highfields supported the #HelloYellow campaign to support young people’s mental health on World Mental Health Day.

The national event was run by charity, Young Minds, which fights for young people’s mental health - especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

All staff wore an item of yellow clothing and brought in fun props, while members of the school’s Safeguarding Team produced an assembly to raise awareness of the campaign and highlight the support available for anyone struggling with their mental health.

Mrs A Bates, the school’s Safeguarding Lead, said: “Hello Yellow Day gave us the chance to highlight to students the importance of looking after our mental health and looking out for each other.

“All members of staff wore yellow to raise awareness of the campaign and all students watched an assembly that had been specially produced to show them the support that is available to them all.

“We also had posters displayed on digital screens around school and on staff and student laptops."

New Head Team appointed

A new Head Team has been appointed for the 2020/21 academic year - with supporting students throughout the Covid-19 pandemic set out as the top priority.

Ariyan Patel has been given the position of Head Boy, with Louise Saul-Braddock chosen as Head Girl.

Joe Regan and Destiny Oboh will take on the roles of Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl respectively.

Students who exemplify good behaviour, grades and attendance are chosen to be part of the Head Team, responsible for setting an example for other students and serving as leaders in school activities.

Louise said she was delighted to have been chosen for the role.

“I am honoured and excited to take on the role of head girl. It will be an excellent opportunity to represent Highfields and give back to the school,” she added.

“Due to Covid-19, coming back to school has been strange but my colleagues and I in the Head Team will do our best to support the school going forward.”

Mr S Pycroft, Head of Sixth Form, said: “I am sure I speak on behalf of all colleagues in wishing the Head Team good luck in their respective positions.”

“All four students were really impressive throughout the application process and I’m sure they will do a great job in representing the school next year.”