Plans for spectacular send-off with Year 11 prom

Plans are in full swing to give Year 11 students a spectacular send-off from school life with a leaving prom this summer.

Upper School staff are hopeful students will be able to enjoy a night of festivities with friends to celebrate moving on to the next chapter of their lives - having spent the vast majority of the past year working remotely from home amid the Covid pandemic.

Arrangements are already being made to host the prom at The Park Hall Hotel’s Grand Marquee on Thursday 1st July as long as national Covid restrictions are lifted as expected.

Mr C Rhodes, Highfields’ Raising Achievement Manager, said: “Students are really excited at the thought of enjoying some sociable time with their peers in a year which has kept most of them apart.

“They have been an absolute credit to the school during these unprecedented times, continuing to work hard to fulfil their ambitions despite a constantly changing situation which has seen them spend months working from home, without face-to-face interaction with their friends or school staff, and uncertainty over how they will be graded at the end of it.

“They really deserve to leave year 11 in style, and we are determined to make it happen. 

“We already have the date and venue booked so as long as Covid restrictions are lifted as expected, it will be a fantastic send-off for them all.”

Highfields marks Stephen Lawrence Day

Highfields is marking Stephen Lawrence Day with a range of activities focusing on creating a fairer society for all - with former student Beverley Knight sending a personal video message of support.

Thursday, April 22 marks the third annual national memorial day in honour of the murdered black teenager, who was killed in a racist attack on the same day in 1993.

Stephen, from Plumstead in south-east London, was 18 when he was attacked and killed while waiting for a bus. He did not know his attackers, and they did not know him.

The memorial day in his honour aims to highlight the part everyone plays in creating a society in which everyone can flourish, have their voices heard and make the changes they’d like to see to create a society that treats everyone with fairness and respect.

This year is particularly poignant following the landmark murder conviction of white former police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd - making him the first white police officer in Minnesota to be charged in the death of a black civilian.

A number of activities have been lined up to mark the occasion, organised by Highfields’ Head of Citizenship, Cheryl Hartshorne.

Citizenship students in Years 7, 8 and 9 have learned about the Lawrence family’s fight for justice and subsequent changes in the legal system.

In English, students from Years 7 & 8 are studying who George Floyd and Stephen Lawrence were and the legacy of their tragic deaths, whilst analysing the work of black poets such as Angelou and Zephaniah.

Year 9 Drama students have also been developing their skills using the stimulus of prejudice and racism.

A special assembly looking into the teenager’s murder and subsequent investigations, which also raises an awareness of different forms of racism and action that is being taken to combat discrimination, has been created for all year groups.

Students have also created a display for reception, while school digital signage and student desktops are being changed to mark the occasion.

Superstar singer Beverley Knight, a former Highfields pupil, has sent a video message to students honouring the event.

In it, she said: “I am so proud of all of you guys for choosing to observe Stephen Lawrence Day.

“This year more than ever it is so important that we are anti-racist.

“We can’t just say, ‘Im not a racist’, we have to be anti-racist.

“That means calling out racism wherever we find it, wherever we see it - whether that be in the playground, in the classroom, walking down the corridor - even at home. That is often where people learn to hate each other for no reason other than skin colour or ethnicity.

“So the best thing to do when these kind of things happen around you, instead of keeping quiet, is to say, ‘you know what, I’m not cool with this - I am not cool with this at all. You guys, if you want to carry on like this, do it, but do it far away from me, or better still don’t do it at all in the first place’.

“That makes you anti-racist, and that is a society that we all want to live in. 

“So well done you guys for observing Stephen Lawrence Day and let us move forward to a better society. That’s what we are all looking for.”

Following Stephen’s murder in 1993, five suspects were arrested but not charged - leading to claims that the handling of the case by both the police and Crown Prosecution Service was affected by Stephen’s race.

A 1998 inquiry concluded that the Metropolitan Police was institutionally racist and recommended the double jeopardy rule be repealed, allowing people to be tried more than once for murder in the face of new evidence.

Two of the original suspects, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were retried for Stephen’s murder in 2011 and found guilty - almost 20 years after his death.

Aladdin rehearsals get under way during holiday

Students gave up some of their Easter break to rehearse for Highfields’ upcoming musical production, Aladdin.

The school opened its doors to cast members last week to start work on the showcase with four days of Covid-compliant rehearsals.

Twenty-five students from Years 7-9 attended the rehearsals, which took place from Tuesday to Friday. Numbers were capped at 25 due to current restrictions.

They used the time to work on some of the show’s famous songs - which include Arabian Nights, Prince Ali, A Whole New World and One Jump Ahead - as well as getting to grips with dance numbers and dialogue.

The musical is set in the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah and tells the story of a poor young man who is granted three wishes by a genie in a lamp, which he uses to woo a princess and to thwart the sultan’s evil Grand Vizier. 

Students wore masks for indoor singing sessions during last week’s rehearsals, but it is hoped the show will be staged in July in front of live audiences in the school’s Lyceum Theatre if Covid restrictions are lifted as planned.

It comes after the school’s latest production of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat had to be live-streamed from the Lyceum Theatre due to strict Covid-19 restrictions.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Director of Performance, said the rehearsals had been a huge success.

She added: “We are really excited to be getting under way with our latest musical, Aladdin.

“It’s a great show, with brilliant songs and big dance numbers.

“We started rehearsals during the Easter break and had 25 enthusiastic cast members give up their holiday time to come along.

“They did an amazing job and worked incredibly hard.

“Our productions take an enormous amount of effort and commitment over many weeks, but we have a very talented young cast and know they are going to put on another wonderful show in the summer.

“It will be even more special if the students do get to perform in front of live audiences in the Lyceum.” 

Principal roles have been double cast or triple cast to give as many students as possible the chance to shine on stage.

Students showcase Windrush performances

Performing Arts students have showcased their drama, dance and musical performances exploring migration, racism and prejudice.

Year 9 students created their pieces as part of a creative collaboration with Wolverhampton’s acclaimed Gazebo Theatre company looking into the Windrush generation.

Students’ performances were inspired by a live-streamed workshop run by the theatre company, which saw professional actor Jannette Barrett get into character as ‘Connie’, who travelled to the UK from Jamaica during the Windrush era in the 1940s.

The event is part of the theatre company’s More Than A Moment project, which is enabling students across the region to explore the important themes around migration, and the prejudice experienced by people in the UK.

They looked into the themes through dance, drama and music - with some producing contemporary dance pieces and others getting into character to learn more about the experiences of those who came to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. Music students also performed their rendition of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds.

Find out more about the project here

Watch their performances below:

Talented young illustrator wins design competition

A creative student has formed the foundations of a career in book illustration after designing a new fairytale character as part of a school competition.

Students in Years 7 and 8 were given the chance to design and illustrate a book character as part of a competition to mark World Book Day.

The winner was Year 7 student Lilly-May Morris, with her Bubblegum Princess character.

The annual World Book Day aims to promote reading for pleasure and celebrates everything to do with books, including the authors, illustrators and the children who read them.

Despite the Covid pandemic putting a stop to Highfields’ usual fancy dress celebrations, the school still found ways of igniting a lifelong love of reading among students. 

As well as the ‘Design a Book Character’ competition, the idea that ‘reading is power’ was explored during English lessons. Students were also invited to take part in a ‘Who’s Behind the Book?’ contest for the chance to win £30 worth of book vouchers.

Twenty-three members of staff - one for each letter of the alphabet - posed behind their favourite books with students invited to guess the mystery readers.

This year marked the 24th year of World Book Day, which is acknowledged globally in more than 100 countries across the world.

Student's artwork liked by Hollywood stars

A talented young artist is celebrating after her incredible artwork was endorsed by Hollywood royalty.

Year 9 student Salena Khabra sketched a pencil portrait of American actor Justin Cornwell, star of her favourite show The Umbrella Academy, during her own time in lockdown.

And within less than a minute of it being uploaded to her personal Instagram account - salena_sketches - the actor himself had personally ‘liked’ it.

Just minutes later her post was also liked and reposted by screenwriter and film director Jeff King - the American superhero show’s producer.

Salena said she was “in shock” when she saw that Justin Cornwell himself had liked her work.

“I kept looking at it and I was jumping around like crazy,” she added.

“Then even better, 30 minutes later the same post was liked and reposted by Jeff King who is the producer for Umbrella Academy, so you can imagine just how excited I felt.

“It actually made me cry.  

“I just could not believe the producer of my favourite series would recognise my work. It made me feel so proud and ecstatic.”

Salena is keen to pursue a career in art in the future and is preparing to enter her stunning artwork into the Young Artists’ Summer Show, run by the Royal Academy of Art.

Now in its third year, the show is a free, open submission exhibition for students aged five - 19 studying in the UK and British schools overseas. Artwork is judged by artists and art professional, with a selection chosen to be displayed online and on site at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Talented Salena said she was still in the process of deciding which of her sketches she will submit.

Teacher Mrs D Smith said: “Salena did the pencil portrait in her own time, and was extremely excited that it was liked not only by the actor but also by the show’s producer too. 

“Salena has made exceptional progress with her artwork over the year. She has chosen fine art as a subject and now has a real passion for Art.

“I predict she could achieve a high grade at GCSE through her efforts as she is developing a wealth of work at an extremely high standard."

A selection of Salena’s class artwork can be seen below - most of which was created during remote working lessons during lockdown.

School is shining a light on Performance

Highfields will once again be turning red to shine a light on the struggling Arts industry - after successfully keeping Performance alive during lockdown with a packed programme of productions, workshops and live-streamed shows.

Lockdown has done little to dampen the creative spark of the school’s Performance department, which has gone above and beyond to deliver a vast and varied creative schedule for young performers despite school closures and social distancing measures.

Among the events staged during the pandemic was the Lockdown Live Lounge concert, which featured stunning performances from soul superstar Beverley Knight - herself a former Highfields student - along with other Highfields alumni. The event, which was live-streamed on the school’s YouTube channel, raised more than £1,000 for NHS staff working on the frontline during the pandemic.

Dozens of students also showcased their stage skills in the Highfields Got Talent contest and Highfields Got Talent Christmas Special.

In December, 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. Performers had given up two weeks of their summer holidays back in August last year to start rehearsing for the production, but the packed rehearsal schedule had to be ripped up due to strict Covid-19 measures - meaning some students took to the stage with just five rehearsals under their belt.

Despite the challenges that came with staging the production, Highfields’ Director of Performance, Ms S Bishop, said seeing the show go ahead was ‘one of the proudest moments’ of her career.

Auditions are currently under way for the school’s latest production, Aladdin, which is open to all students in Years 7, 8 and 9, and is due to be staged in the summer term - hopefully in front of live audiences.

Meanwhile, Highfields has formed a creative collaboration with acclaimed Wolverhampton-based Gazebo theatre exploring the Windrush generation, and the themes of migration, racism and prejudice.

The school is now throwing its weight behind the latest Light It In Red campaign, which aims to draw attention to the challenges facing venues in the live events, arts, theatre and music industry. 

As part of the campaign - which runs from Monday 15th March to Friday 19th Match - companies, venues and organisations are once again being encouraged to light buildings in red to symbolise the 'red alert' level the industry is under due to the ongoing restrictions on large-scale events, whilst sharing a heart symbol in a show of support for the industry.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Head of Extra-Curricular Performance, said: “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.

“Despite lockdown presenting many challenges, we have been determined to continue offering a range of opportunities to keep Performance alive at Highfields for our students.

“We are delighted to be able to build on this now school has reopened and our students are all really looking forward to getting back on site to continue nurturing their Performance skills.

“As we form part of the fabric of Arts across the country, we are delighted to  support this latest Light It In Red campaign.”

Highfields prepares to welcome back students

Highfields is preparing to welcome back all students to the classroom in phases over the coming days - and each will receive three lateral flow Covid tests on site within the next two weeks.

The school’s sports hall has been transformed into a Covid testing centre, with 10 bays, to ensure the safe return of all staff and students.

The return to school is being staggered among year groups to accommodate the testing programme.

All students will have received their first test ready for school to reopen fully by Thursday 11th March. Second and third tests for each student will take place up to  Thursday 18th March, when home testing kits will then be sent out for students to test twice a week.

• Students in Year 7 will have their first test on Wednesday 10th March before starting normal lessons at 8.40am on Thursday 11th March.

• Students in Year 8 will have their first test on Tuesday 9th March before starting normal lessons at 8.40am on Wednesday 10th March.

• Students in Year 9 will have their first test on Monday 8th March before starting normal lessons at 8.40am on Thursday 11th March.

• Students in Year 10 have already received their first test and will start normal lessons at 10.30am on Wednesday 10th March.

• Students in Year 11 will have their first test on Monday 8th March before starting normal lessons at 10.30am on Tuesday 9th March.

To minimise queuing and to help maintain social distancing, students are being encouraged to arrive no more than a few minutes before their allocated testing slots.

An instructional video has been created in school to inform and reassure students about the testing process, which can be found here, as well as a list of frequently asked questions.

Consent forms have been sent out to parents, which the vast majority have signed. Tests will not be carried out on students without consent.

Students and staff will be required to wear masks in lessons when school returns, unless they are exempt, until at least Easter in line with Government guidance.

Assistant Headteacher, Mr P Rose, said: “We will be testing all students before they return to the classroom, offering all students three lateral flow tests on the school site, followed by home test kits to use twice per week. 

“By testing we will help to stop the virus spread and keep our school open as safely as possible.

“We are delighted with the support that we have received from parents and are really looking forward to welcoming all students back to school.”

Lateral Flow Testing has already been under way on site for the limited number of staff and students who returned to school following the Christmas break.

But provisions have been ramped up to enable mass testing in preparation for the school’s full return.

The school has been running a remote learning programme, including live lessons, since schools were closed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Responses to the remote programme from students, parents and carers have been overwhelmingly positive.

Windrush era explored with creative collaboration

Performing Arts students are exploring migration, racism and prejudice as part of a creative collaboration with Wolverhampton’s acclaimed Gazebo Theatre company.

Professional actor Jannette Barrett got into character during a live-streamed workshop to share the experiences of Connie, who travelled to the UK from Jamaica during the Windrush era in the 1940s.

Students ‘hot-seated’ Connie about her experiences which Janette - whose father Anthony Augustine Joseph was one of the few Black Navy Officers to receive a Commendation from Winston Churchill during WW2 - answered in character.

Fellow actor Dennis Ffrench - whose mother came to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation - facilitated the virtual workshop.

The event is part of the theatre company’s More Than A Moment project, which is enabling students across the region to explore the important themes around migration, and the prejudice experienced by people in the UK.

Students from Year 8 and 9 will now produce their own creative work - from dance, drama, music or poetry - based on the themes raised in the workshop, which will be uploaded to the company’s online More Than A Moment gallery.

Students in Year 9 will also be collaborating on a performance which will be performed to parents virtually.

The More Than A Moment project follows on from the company’s hugely successful programme called ‘Sorry! No Coloureds, No Irish, No Dogs’ which saw the actors tour schools and community groups with live performances highlighting the experiences of the Windrush generation.

Funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and  Windrush Day Grant Programme, the More Than A Moment project gives students and groups the chance to explore their artistic response to the theme of Windrush which will be celebrated and shared in the online gallery.

Ms S Bishop, Highfields’ Director of Performance, said: “The workshop was really enlightening and a great way for students to learn more about the experiences of the Windrush generation, the prejudices they faced and the positive impact they made to Britain’s illustrious history.

“Our students got so much out of the event and they have been inspired to now work on their own creative art - whether it be dance, drama or music - which will be shared in Gazebo Theatre’s online gallery.”

Students have also been able to ask Jannette and Dennis about their professional lives and experiences as part of the school’s celebrations to mark National Careers Week.

Life-saving science being celebrated

The science that is saving lives during the Covid pandemic is being explored by Highfields students as part of a national celebration.

The school has been successful in securing a grant as part of British Science Week to deliver lessons about the science protecting the nation from the virus, thanks to a bid from the school’s Lead Practitioner for Science, Dr S Taylor.

The curriculum for Year 8 students is being collapsed for two lessons for students to explore the subject.

They will be learning about the science behind the ‘hands, face, space’ message promoted by the government during the pandemic in the first lesson. Lesson two will focus on the science of vaccines, including how they work and myths associated with them.

As well as the Covid-focused lessons, students are also being given the chance to enter a competition explaining the 'science of vaccination in a box’. To take part, students have been asked to create models in a shoe box showing how vaccines work.

British Science Week is a 10-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

This year’s event runs from March 5th-14th with the theme of Innovating for the Future.

Although this year’s celebrations are different due to the Covid pandemic, a host of events and activities have been lined up to celebrate all things STEM, including online talks and presentations.

Organisers behind the national celebration said that nine in 10 children want to take an active stance in changing the world, having been spurred on by major world events such as Covid and climate change.