Highclare School
2018
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
SUMMER ISSUE
Welcome to the Summer edition of the Headmaster’s Termly Newsletter The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of football that provides exciting moments, allowing us to watch and get behind the national team. It’s lovely to see how the nation comes together to support our representatives. Players are the centre of attention of the event. They live a high profile, glamorous lifestyle and are adored by many. These key personnel are stars of a worldwide entertainment industry, leading them to be paid in a manner similar to movie and music stars. Who are the players who rise to the top? As educationalists we would identify them as being highly self-regulatory and highly metacognitive. What do we mean by these two terms? Self regulation refers to a person’s self-discipline to do things necessary to achieve a particular objective. The footballers model the good habits necessary to play at a highly skilled level, eg. dedication and perseverance in their training, fitness and skills, maintaining and improving this throughout their careers. Their fit, healthy lifestyles are based on a good diet and sufficient sleep. They are resilient in overcoming the disappointment of losing a goal, in overcoming an injury, playing with a minor injury, waiting for their chance to be picked for a place on the team or when playing in a hostile atmosphere. The term metacognition refers to a person’s awareness and understanding of their own thought processes. Footballers display a metacognitive ability by
Junior Prize Giving 2018 Our annual Junior School Prize Giving was held on the 27th June at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall and was well attended by pupils, parents, governors and staff. It was a great celebration of the achievements of all our Junior School pupils this year and showcased some of their amazing dramatic and musical talents. Hosted by our Head Boys and Head Girls, ably assisted by their deputies, a representative from each class performed a piece from their LAMDA practice and then each year group performed a musical piece. The evening also saw the presentation of prizes and certificates to pupils in each year group. Our speakers for the evening were Dr R Luker, Headmaster, Mrs P Bennet, Head of Junior School and Mr Kevin Borg from SERAPH, a company specialising in Leadership Development. The evening finished with the whole school performing their version of This Is Me from the film The Greatest Showman, to rapturous applause from some very proud parents.
having the mental capacity to play at a highly skilled level in whatever circumstances are brought about in a dynamic ‘game’ environment. They are deciding the most effective way to play. What needs to be done differently this time? How do they do things differently to deal with Ronaldo rather than Harry Kane? In short, the ones who reach the top are the players who TAKE CHARGE of their own careers. This is a term that has come to mean a lot throughout Highclare School. TAKE CHARGE is our own educational initiative – it is an acronym designed to encourage the boys and girls to develop the skills and attitude to be effective learners – something that we know will help them repeatedly throughout their lives. It is based on the skills and habits of selfregulation and metacognition. The Education Endowment Foundation’s toolkit is a well-known, on-going piece of international educational research. It has evidence that strongly suggests that helping boys and girls become more self-regulatory and metacognitive can help them advance their own learning by up to six months in any one year. We at Highclare are helping the boys and girls to develop their attitude and skills to become more effective learners. Align this with feedback to the boys and girls on what they have to do to take their assessed work to the next level – something we do all the time at Highclare School – and we can advance the boys and girls by a massive eight months in any one year. These are not our estimates but, instead, research confirmed by a highly regarded educational research institution. It’s the difference between giving a poor and starving fisherman a fish to eat or, instead, a net to go out and catch fish and then some feedback on how to catch more fish by, for instance, improving the technique used or finding a better place to fish. We are working hard to ingrain TAKE CHARGE into the culture of the School, to make it second nature to the boys and girls. Our own evaluations suggest that we are getting there but it requires us all to be constantly reminding them of the importance of having these right habits. Parental support at home with this initiative would be much appreciated. Best wishes Dr R Luker - Headmaster
Senior School News
Duke of Edinburgh 2018
U6 Leavers' Dinner
Over the summer Term DofE students have taken part in two practice events in preparation for their qualifying Duke of Edinburgh expedition.
Highclare School applauded the U6's time at Highclare Senior School by holding its annual Sixth Form Leavers' Dinner. It was lovely to hear memories from these young adults, especially those about their time at Junior and Pre-School. We wish all the U6 well for their future. Thanks are extended to Mr Parkinson and his team for organising this event.
L4 and L5 Geographers go paddling One of the most enjoyable and memorable aspects of the Geography curriculum for pupils tends to be the fieldwork element. At Highclare Senior School we are fortunate to take all year groups out to experience fieldwork both through residential visits and a variety of day trips.
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Our L4 Geographers experienced a fantastic day at the Wolseley Centre in Staffordshire, investigating and comparing a tributary and the main channel of the River Trent. Students devised hypotheses to test and then spent the day measuring aspects such as velocity, pebble angularity, pH, depth and wetted perimeter. Kick sampling was particularly enjoyable, with pupils able to collect macroinvertebrates from the river bed and identity them to assess the quality of the river water. L5 Geographers are assessed on their fieldwork as part of their written GCSE examinations . They spent a day at Ash Brook, Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire comparing the stream at different sites in order to be able to see changes as distance from the source increases. They were able to put the classroom theory of Bradshaw’s model into practice and will be able to justify their methods and analyse their results well following this excellent day of fieldwork.
U5 Prom Night Our U5 pupils celebrated the end of their examinations in style this term at their Prom night. Held on a glorious evening at Moxhull Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield, pupils relaxed after a term of examinations. It was a wonderful evening where Samuel Donaghue made a fantastic speech celebrating friendships and thanking staff for their support during their GCSEs. The pupils behaviour was exemplary, it was a joyous evening and we look forward to welcoming pupils back to our L6 in September.
In April 38 students and 7 staff embarked on a Duke Of Edinburgh training walk in Sutton Park. 23 U4 and 15 L5 students mastered map and compass skills, how to use a Trangia and had discussions on the Country Code and what food to take on an expedition. It proved a successful trip allowing students to gain new skills and ask any questions they may have had. A wonderful time was had by all as they covered the 6km course in the sunshine. In June this was followed by a practice expedition in North Wales. Everyone returned home exhausted but prepared for their qualifying expedition in September. On Friday 15th June 2018, our biggest group of DofE students yet set off for North Wales. The bus was packed with rucksacks, overnight bags and 41 excited pupils. We arrived just in time for dinner at Arete Outdoor Education Centre. It was a busy evening of route planning, kit checks and settling in. On Saturday the Silvers were dropped near Conwy to begin their 3-day hike. They set off in good spirits and most importantly clement weather! Meanwhile the Bronzes were experiencing the joys of gorge walking. Kitted out in wetsuits and shorts, they headed to Afon Ddu where they clambered over rocks, jumped into pools and generally battled the torrents of water washing down on them. All came back exhilarated and exhausted. In the evening whilst the Bronzes made the last preparations to their maps and kit at Arete, the Silvers were heading into their first ‘camp site’. Tired after a day of hiking, they set up tents near Aber Falls at a wild camp, where their water source was a fresh mountain stream and there were no other facilities. A novel experience for all! It was the Bronzes' turn on Sunday to set out from Llanrwst in the direction of Capel Curig. They had a successful day and coped well with carrying their rucksacks, navigating and hiking. They had a rather rainy campsite but managed to pitch tents and cook their dinners efficiently. In contrast, the Silvers by now had reached the outskirts of Bethesda and had a lovely sunny campsite overlooked by a huge pile of Welsh slate. By 12 o’clock on Monday all the groups had made it to Ogwen Cottage ready for their debriefing and a rest before the coach arrived to take us all home. Lots of experience was gained and everyone did really well. They are now all raring to go for the October qualifying expedition, where they can put into practice all the lessons learned from this trip. All pupils were excellently behaved, listened to instruction well and were a credit to the school. Well done to all! A big thank you to our accompanying teachers Mrs Dudley, Mrs Green, Miss Watson and Mr Sneary for giving up their time and keeping spirits up. Thanks also to all the staff back at Highclare who were involved in the vital preparations for the trip, whether helping with training, transport, medical, communications or accounts. We couldn’t have done it without you all.
GCSE National Space Centre Trip
Triple Science Physics GCSE students attended the National Space Centre in Leicester this term looking to enhance their knowledge in preparation for their examinations. The students started the day by watching a show in the Planetarium all about the life and death of stars, along with proof of how we and everything we know started life as star dust! From here they moved on to a master class on orbits, red shift and the Big Bang, with the added bonus of some examination tips and a few great hands-on demonstrations. Following lunch the students had some free time to explore and found many exciting educational interactive displays, as well as a few that were just for fun. Finally we took the lift to the top of the rocket before heading back to school. A great day was had by all and they came out with the knowledge they needed for their GCSE examination.
House Bake Off 2018 In June Mrs Cobbold launched Highclare’s annual House Bake Off competition with an assembly demonstration of making and shaping bread rolls, this year’s technical challenge. Six eager competitors - 2 from each house took part and produced some brilliant bread shapes and flavours. The competition was judged by Dr Luker and Mrs Moore who enjoyed tasting all the bread to aid their decision making. It was a very close call and the final results were as follows: House points – Joint first – Lancaster and York. Third place – Tudor. Individually: First prize was awarded to Pranav Ramesh, second prize to Isabel Masaun, third prize to Kate Stephens. Sarah Howe, Jack Newman and Ibraheem Hussein were all highly commended.
Maths Challenge Congratulations to all Highclare students who took part in this year’s Junior Mathematical Challenge. This is a nationally recognised challenge that receives over 260,000 entries of which the top 40% of students receive a certificate and only the top 6% can achieve a gold certificate. Gold Certificates were awarded to Warren Koh (L4) and Humza Ali (U3)
Learning Centre lunchtime Career Talk This term Senior School students were invited to a lunchtime talk on careers in writing. Sue Durrell, author and marketing expert, spoke to students on a range of subjects covering what it’s like to write a book, how to use digital media and how to find a publisher.
A Silver Certificate was awarded to Ayisha Iqbal (L4) Bronze Certificates were to awarded James Pearson (L4) and Holly Pankhurst (U3) Following the Junior Maths Challenge, Warren Koh and Humza Ali qualified for the next round of the competition, the Junior Kangaroo Challenge. Although both boys achieved a gold certificate in the Junior Challenge this threshold does not automatically qualify students for the next round of the challenge so it was a fantastic achievement.
Art and Design Exhibitions celebrate GCSE and A Level Art Success
GCSE Drama showcase
U5 and L5 Drama students treated staff, family and friends to performances this term as part of their preparation for their GCSE performance examination. U5 students performed pieces from The Woman in Black and their Devising Drama plays, something that they scripted and devised themselves from a given stimulus. L5 also performed a short piece of GCSE mock coursework. All performances were fantastic and the evening was enjoyed by all.
U5 and U6 pupils in the Senior School celebrated the end of their examination courses with displays of their portfolios in June. Work from a total of 16 pupils was exhibited with projects featuring Photography, Fine Art, Textiles and Product Design on show. The exhibitions showcased the range of creative opportunities available at examination level and highlighted the exceptional talents of our students in a myriad of media and disciplines. Subjects ranged from portraiture, travel and equine art to anatomy and the impact of social media. “ The students have all undertaken their own creative journey and their growth into self-assured artists and designers is clear. The pupils have worked from their strengths and each has developed a distinct and personal visual style. It has been a pleasure to have accompanied them on this journey and seen them mature into confident and competent individuals.” Vanessa Hughes - Head of Art A number of the pupils are going on to follow Art and Design at a higher level. We wish them every success in the future.
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Junior School News Bright Sparks at Think Tank
McVitie’s watch out! Baking is the perfect opportunity to combine a love of learning with a love of sweet treats! Following a method, measuring ingredients, using the correct equipment, describing the baking technique and observing the process closely are all conducive towards a fun learning experience. The pupils of J4R have been designing, making and tasting biscuits in DT this term. The first part of the project was to make a plain biscuit and then taste it, alongside other kinds of biscuits, including a chocolate digestive and a shortbread.
J3 pupils recently spent an insightful day at Think Tank Birmingham science museum learning about light and exploring the 200 plus hands-on displays about science and technology. Our young budding scientists were captivated during an interactive science lecture where pupils were invited to test different sources of light, play with shadows and see for themselves that light travels in a straight line and then change its direction using a lens. J3 enjoyed the wonderful activities on offer including the science garden and kids’ city where pupils could play and learn together. The whole day was a fantastic opportunity for J3 pupils to discover science in a fun and exciting environment.
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A Highclare Prime Minister in the making
The children’s next task was to decide how they could make their plain biscuit more interesting and tasty. They then designed their own biscuit adding extra ingredients, using a different shape and decorating to make it special. Finally, the children baked their unique biscuits using the extra ingredients they had chosen.
The Romans invade J4R As part of their history topic, the pupils in J4R have been studying the Romans. As well as learning about Roman numerals and Rome they have produced some fantastic projects on different aspects of Roman life. All of J4R have worked incredibly hard on their projects and our Roman display looks fantastic.
Wrekin Challenge On Friday 27th April, eight pupils from J4 took part in the Wrekin College Maths Challenge. The children worked in pairs, using all their mathematical skills to solve a variety of maths tasks against the clock. Our J4 children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and all performed extremely well in the challenge. Highclare St Pauls' pupils, Dylan Engers and Avani Rooprai, came joint 1st out of over 50 teams. Well done everyone!
Pastoral breakfast All of J6 recently travelled to London to pay a visit to the Houses of Parliament. The children were able to visit the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They learnt all about the history of the building and how it is used today. The children were able to sit in the gallery while the House of Commons was in session. After the tour of the Houses of Parliament the children had a workshop to go through the process of creating a law. The children were fantastic at presenting their arguments for and against. All the children had a great day and some have dreams to come back in the future.
This term saw the return of the Junior School Pastoral breakfast, an annual event hosted by Mrs Bennett over breakfast as an opportunity to listen to pupil voices and discuss School Life with pupils.
“It was interesting to know what the other children think about school life at Highclare and offer our opinion” James- J5 “It was great to be invited to Mrs Bennett’s breakfast meeting. I hope that our views help the school move forward” Josh R - J6
J5’s British Values Assembly
J6 Residential – Caythorpe Court
In May, J5 from Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Pauls joined together for their assembly on the theme of British Values, which proved as educational as it was entertaining. They explored the five main areas, using sketches they had written themselves to demonstrate their meaning and performed the song True Colours with Makaton sign language. Following this they explored the life of famous Briton, William Shakespeare, ending with a condensed and amusing performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was a memorable assembly of which the children can be proud. The majority of J6 from Highclare Junior School spent an action packed week at Caythopre Court PGL in Lincolnshire this term. It was a fantastic week. The sun was shining, all the children challenged themselves and they did it all with a huge smile on their face. The experience was a wonderful opportunity for the children to show their resilience and ambition, pushing themselves on activities such as the climbing wall, the GIANT swing and abseiling. They had the chance to learn new skills, have fun and connect with their friends. All the staff were proud of the children who came…once they realised that getting up at 4am is not the best way to start an action packed day!
J5 protect Warwick Castle J5 from Highclare Woodfield and Highclare St Paul’s enjoyed a day out at Warwick Castle. They looked around some of the rooms in the castle, including the great hall where they learnt about the armour and weapons in battle. During a workshop, they learnt about battle techniques and strategies for armies. A popular highlight of the day was exploring the Horrible Histories Maze. Luckily everyone was able to find their way out, without getting lost! A great day was had by children and staff.
Design like an Egyptian
Boys and Ballet
The clay models were made in J3 as part of their project on sculpture. They had already been studying the Egyptians in History lessons and so were pleased to design and make their own canopic jars. These jars, made out of clay with lids shaped like animal heads, were used by the Ancient Egyptians to store the body parts of the mummified body - fascinating and gruesome at the same time.
This term saw Highclare Junior Schools' first Lads and Dads ballet workshop, hosted by Miss Judith. Held in celebration of Father’s Day and to promote gender equality and balance amongst our pupils, the workshop offered male pupils, relations and teachers the opportunity to experience what a male ballet dancer's training includes.It was a fantastic opportunity to break down barriers and stereotypes for boys in ballet and develop positive role models. Miss Judith’s sons performed a dance which was choreographed by Iain Mackay to promote the Royal Academy’s ProjectB scheme. The workshop included the ‘lads, dads and teachers’ learning some of the choreography from this routine. It was wonderful to hear some of the boys comments following the workshop and we look forward to next year’s event.
“That wasn’t ballet, it wasn’t girly.” “It was much harder than we thought.” “We really enjoyed it.”
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Junior Sports News Rounders
Cricket
U11 A team girls v Twycross House School (May 2018) Highclare fielded first and did excellently well to keep Twycross’s score down to 11. When it came for our turn to bat Highclare only hit 8 rounders and were unlucky not to win the fixture. The girls all agreed the best part of the day was the delicious match teas.
U11 A team boys v Twycross House School (May 2018) Our first hard ball game of the year against a very good cricketing school ended in a defeat. We started batting and showed off the skills learned in lessons. After 15 overs we got to a score of 226 and all out. Twycross showed their excellent batting skills against some good bowling from our end and finished on 280-5 after their 15 overs.
U11 B team girls v Twycross House School (May 2018) In their first fixture the U11 girls played very well, using all of the techniques we had worked on in lessons to score as many rounders as possible. Highclare batted first and scored 6 in total. When it came to our time to field we bowled excellently but were unable to stop Twycross scoring. They finished on 10 rounders. U9 A team v Twycross House School (June 2018) Our team played with confidence and passion, winning the fixture 15 – 7 ½. Well done to all players including player of the match Tiffany Latham. U9 B teams v Twycross House School (June 2018) The U9s have been working very hard in lessons and this showed in our first B team fixture. Final score Highclare 10 – Twycross 8. Player of the match Lara Jeetly. U11 A team v Lichfield Cathedral School (June 2018) The game finished 14 and a half rounders to Highclare with Lichfield Cathedral School scoring just 12 rounders. The confidence of the girls was clear to see by the amount of players our team got out. Special mention to player of the match and top scorer Olivia Harvey.
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U11 B team v Lichfield Cathedral School (June 2018) Missing out on a win by just half a rounder the B team played excellently in this fixture. The hitting was good and the team work was excellent. Well done to player of the match Darcie Walsh. ISA U9 Rounders tournament at Stafford Prep School (June 2018) Our excellent team batted and fielded well all day but were unlucky to lose the first fixture against Old Vicarage School 5 to 6 and a half. In the second game our bowling was much better with Highclare just missing out against Stafford Prep school. In our last game we played well against Abbotts Bromley and won our final game against Birchfield. Player of the tournament - Zarah Wahid-Ashraf.
U11 B team boys v Twycross House School (May 2018) The B team played a game of kwik cricket and it turned out to be a very close game. Twycross decided to bat first and got to a total of 314. Our boys battled hard and got to a total of 284, just a few runs short of victory. J1 & 2 Smack-it-racket club welcomed ALL STARS CRCIKET ROADSHOW (May 2018) As part of our extra-curricular programme Smack-it-racket club welcomed Warwickshire Cricket Coaches to inspire our students to take up cricket. The equipment was amazing and many students have signed up to All Star programmes in local clubs. If your student would like to be involved please visit https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) All Stars Cricket is a brand-new initiative from the England and Wales Cricket Board aimed at providing children aged five to eight with a great first experience in cricket. U10 and U11 Cricket v Lichfield Cathedral School (June 2018) The U10 team played a fixture of kwik cricket against and at Lichfield Cathedral School. We batted first and continuously scored some good runs, ending up with 284 runs after 10 overs. We demonstrated some excellent bowling skills and kept the run rate down. Lichfield were chasing 26 runs to win in the last over, but we took another wicket and won by 28 runs in the end. The U11 team played a game of incredible cricket and it was a closely contested game with some quality cricket played from both sides. We reached a total score of 270 after 15 overs after batting first. Lichfield took 13 overs to get to 273 and seal a narrow victory.
Triathlon J3, J4, J5 and J6 National Triathlon at Lucton (June 2018) To win any event is fantastic but to excel across 2 disciplines is incredibly admirable. Well done to Triathlon Tristar 1 boys' winner Hugh MasonWilliams and Tristar-start 2nd place finisher Finley Pike. Special mention also to James Marrett who finished 4th in Tristar 1, Willam Hoe who finished 5th in Tristar-start, Tiffany Latham who finished 7th in Tristar 1 and Lily Dudley who finished 9th in Tristar-start.
Athletics ISA Regional J4, J5 and J6 girls and boys Athletics competition at The Alexander Stadium (June 2018) J4 Girls 600m – Tiffany Latham – 4th J4 Boys 600m – Hugh Mason-Willams – 1st J6 Girls 80m – Olivia Harvey – 8th J5 Boys 600m – William Stead – 2nd J4 Boys 150m – Oliver Hoe – 6th J5 Boys 150m – Joshua Jones – 1st J6 Girls 150m – Isabella Haigh – 8th J6 Boys 150m – Eriif Adebo – 8th J6 Girls High Jump – Isabella Haigh – 8th J4 Girls Long Jump – Esme Karakaya – 2nd J4 Girls Ball Throw – Esme Karakaya – 8th J4 Boys Ball Throw – Joshua Turnbull – 7th J5 Boys Long Jump – Joshua Jones – 1st J6 Girls Ball throw – Tasmia Mirza – 6th J5 Boys Relay team – Charlie Woolley, Chima Ihenacho, William Stead and Joshua Jones – 1st
ISA National J4, J5 and J6 girls and boys Athletics competition at The Alexander Stadium (June 2018) Hugh Mason-Willams finished 3rd in the J4 Boys 600m. Joshua Jones finished 3rd in the J5 Boys 150m.
Football
Swimming
J2 Soccer Skills Football at Derby County Football Club (June 2018) J2 had their first ever football fixtures for their year group at the Derby County FC training ground in this soccer skills tournament. All pupils were so excited and even got to see some of the club’s first team players at the ground for their pre-season preparations. Team A narrowly missed out on the final by winning 4 games, drawing 2 and losing 1, finishing 3rd overall. Team B finished 6th, winning 1 game, drawing 2 and losing 4. J4 – 6 Highclare Football World Cup (June 2018) On Friday 15th of June, Highclare organised their very own World Cup competition. Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, England, Germany, Argentina and Brazil were the nations involved in this prestigious tournament. Around 64 J4,5 and 6 pupils, boys and girls, participated in a round robin tournament with many parents in attendance. Ultimately, Portugal ended up victorious in the World Cup, winning all their 5 games.
J3, J4, J5 and J6 Swimming Gala v Grace Dieu (May 2018) In our second annual Gala against Grace Dieu the races were very close and the effort from students was clear to see. Some notable firsts included the J4 girls relay team and Hugh Mason-Williams who took first place in the J6 boys medley relay. The results were close and Highclare won the Gala by just 7 points.
Tennis Tennis Ambassadors This year we have introduced Tennis Ambassadors to our morning tennis skills clubs. Cameron Dhami from Highclare St Paul’s and Arjun Rajesh from Highclare Woodfield have successfully begun to promote tennis throughout our schools. J5/6 Sutton Schools Tennis Competition hosted by Sutton Coldfield Tennis Club (May 2018) In the pool stages Highclare Junior School played Shrubbery, St Nicholas, New Oscott and Little Sutton, beating all teams to finish top of pool B. In the semi-finals we beat Coppice on points to play in the final which we WON! Well done to Cameron Dhami, Edward Morrison, Olivia Harvey and Tasmia Mirza. J3/4 Sutton Schools Tennis Competition hosted by Sutton Coldfield Tennis Club (May 2018) In the pool stages the Highclare team won all of their matches, played some excellent points and scored fairly but were unable to beat eventual winners Wylde Green. Well done to Oliver Hoe, Yousef Shimal, Temiloluwa Adewunmi and Zarah Wahid-Ashraf. J5/6 ISA Regional Tennis Doubles Competition hosted by Ludlow Tennis Club (June 2018) A huge congratulations to Cameron Dhami and Arjun Rajesh who finished first in the competion after soime gruelling matches. Well done also to Edward Morrison and Yuvraj Atwal who finished 3rd. Our girls’ teams also played some very good tennis so a special mention to Olivia Harvey, Chloe Pike, Tasmia Mirza and Jyoti Mangal.
Tri-golf J2 Tri-golf festival v Dixie Grammar and Sheepy Magna School at Highclare Sports Field On the sunniest day of the year so far all 44 students in J2 were selected into a Tri-golf team to represent the school. The festival ran brilliantly with students attempting 11 different activities to score points for their team. A huge well done to Highclare Hurricanes who finished 2nd. THANK YOU to all the Highclare Senior School Sports Ambassadors who were invaluable and helped the event to be such a success. They made each activity fun and fair for our J2s. What a huge credit to our excellent Senior School.
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Infant & Pre-School
Pre-School Graduation 2018 Pre-School graduation is a fantastic opportunity for parents and staff to celebrate our PreSchool pupils' achievements and to look forward to their next steps in their learning journey. Dr Luker presented their graduation scrolls individually during the wonderful ceremony and family photographs were taken in the gardens.
Pre-School 1 Minibeasts Music workshop Pre-School 1 recently took part in a minibeast themed music workshop led by Miss Broder, our specialist music teacher. They began the workshop as explorers searching for minibeasts, finding many different insects from spiders, woodlice and beetles to slugs, butterflies and bees. The children demonstrated their wonderful voices by singing a variety of songs such as Incey Wincey Spider and In My Garden and they finished dancing away to Boogie Bugs. They enjoyed deciding which insects move fast and which ones moved slowly. The children then showcased their amazing clave playing skills and enjoyed playing fast and slow to various music. The Flight of the Bumble Bee was a firm favourite. Thank you to all who were involved. This was a lovely morning of music making.
Fun at the Zoo 8
Reception have enjoyed a beautiful sunny day at Twycross Zoo. They started with an interactive session at the discovery centre where children were encouraged to experience different textures, colours and patterns in the amazing world of animals. Reception pupils then enjoyed the animals, getting up close to lemurs in the Lemur Walk, and they had the opportunity to feed some beautifully coloured birds. Along with a picnic in the sunshine everyone had an amazing day.
The songs performed included Getting Reception Ready, 2,4,6,8, Now it’s time to graduate, dance, music and percussion, Busy Bee Song and getting Reception ready with We’re going on our way, Hooray! Hooray! The morning concluded with a song listing the skills they had learnt and two little words with actions, ‘Thank you’. It was a wonderful morning enjoyed by all and we look forward to welcoming our Pre-Schoolers into Reception in September ready to impress with their amazing knowledge!
Infant recital evening 2018 Towards the end of the Summer term the Infants took to the stage to perform an exciting programme of music and poetry. Reception began with showcasing their amazing movement to music, percussion playing and singing, J1 demonstrated their Kodaly talents and percussion playing and J2 showed off their amazing recorder and glockenspiel playing. Infant Choir sang with all their heart and all three classes gave a heart melting performance of You Raise Me Up. The concert also featured a number of soloists. We heard music from the violin, guitar, drums, piano and singing. These young performers were outstanding. You would never have known that for some it was their first ever performance. They were all full of such confidence and enthusiasm. A huge well done to everyone who took part. Miss Broder, our specialist music teacher, was extremely proud and impressed with the quality of music produced on both evenings.
Maths is fun!
Food tasting in Spanish Children in Pre-School and Reception have been enjoying interactive lessons with our specialist Modern Foreign Language teacher Senorita Kenny. Pre-School tasted various fruits during their Spanish lessons this term where the children had to express whether they liked or disliked each fruit before tasting them. Reception have been learning colours through fun songs and games, including Twister! It was a very popular lesson!
This term Pre-School 2 have been having lots of fun with maths. It has been lovely to be able to work on our maths skills in the sun, putting flowers in height order and splitting the pupils into groups to sort long/short objects.
Behind the scenes at Birmingham Sea Life Centre On Tuesday 26th June J1 pupils enjoyed a brilliant day at the Birmingham Sea Life Centre. The children had the opportunity to go behind the scenes in a very special tour which went hand in hand with our current science topic, By the Seaside. Children were led by an expert aquarist guide and discovered how the Sea Life Centre care for their marine and freshwater creatures. J1 were given privileged access to the working areas where they learned about the extensive breeding, research and conservation programmes that go on at the Sea Life Centre and saw how the fish food is prepared. A super informative day was had by all.
Perfect Pizzas J2 had a great morning learning how to make pizza at Pizza Express, Sutton Coldfield. Pupils had to wear a chef’s hat and were able to add their favourite toppings to their pizza. The best part was being able to take their pizzas home to share with their family.
Senior Sports Athletics ISA Senior Championships (Alexander Stadium, May 2018) Year 7 Girls Year 8/9 Girls Year 10 Girls Overall Girls (21 Girls' teams)
6th 5th 13th 8th
Year 7 Boys Year 8/9 Boys Year 10 Boys Overall Boys (18 Boys' teams)
12th 8th 7th 9th
Girls' Team: Veronica Ansell, Alice Griffiths, Jodie Andrews, Ruby Newman, Kitty McCallion-Bowen, Nia Eubanks, Amani Palmer-Peters, Olivia Keene, Sophie Smith, Anya Korpal, Scarlett Dunne, Destiny Roberts, Jocelyn Thomas, Skye Langford-Brown, Beaulah Johnson, Caitlin O’Connor. Boys' Team: Amaan Hoq, Shaye Bailey-Stewart, Lewis Smith, Sydney Miller-Hope, Salif Kamara, Matthew Foletti, Joseph Walford, Simran Bamra, Ethan Thorpe-Brown, Toby Walton, Jack Newman, James Griffiths, Harry Mills, Jeevan Degun, Piers Robinson, Jorsh Johal, Bhargav Venna, Sean Phagura. The following athletes qualified and were selected to represent the Midlands at the ISA Nationals: Caitlin O’Connor, Jack Newman and Sophie Smith Edgbaston High School and King Edward's School. This involved both an A and B team and for several swimmers it was their first experience of a competitive gala. Although both teams finished 3rd overall, the girls were still smiling at the end and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere.
9 ISA National Championships (Alexander Stadium, June 2018) Caitlin O'Connor - Year 10/11 – 3rd in 1500m (Jack & Sophie sadly unable to compete.)
Rounders
Softball
Year 9 Sutton Schools Tournament (Fairfax School, May 2018)
Year 9 Sutton Schools Tournament (Bishop Walsh, May 2018)
Our Year 9 girls competed in the Sutton Schools rounders tournament, playing 5 matches, winning 1 and losing 4 to finish 5th overall.
Result: 3rd out of 4 schools Team: Malakai Florey-Meah, Cameron Tuck, Leon Nupa, Elliot Mcloskey, Harry Stephens, Colin Mbengo, Scott Gibson, Samuel Harvey, Sunjeev Bamra, Christian Kalavanas.
Results: lost 3 - 4 v Arthur Terry lost 2 - 6 v Sutton Girls won 61/2 - 5 v Plantsbrook lost 11/2 - 41/2 v Fairfax lost 31/2 - 5 v Bishop Walsh Team: Jessica Davis, Olivia Keene, Sophie Smith, Kia Weekes, Scarlett Dunne, Lizzie Pulley, Nellie Gwaza, Kaylah Pedro-Ward, Anya Korpal.
U15 Rounders friendly v Priory School (Highclare, May 2018) Result: Highclare 191/2 v Priory 61/2 The Highclare team made up of years 7/8/9/10 pupils played extremely well against their opposition. Some very good batting resulted in us scoring an impressive number of rounders.
U15 Rounders friendly v Arnold Lodge School (Highclare, June 2018) Result: Match 1: Highclare 41/2 v Arnold Lodge 31/2 Match 2: Arnold Lodge 10 v Highclare 71/2
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Triathlon ISA Midlands Triathlon (Lucton School, June 2018)
Cricket Year 7 v Stockland Green (Stockland Green School, May 2018) Result: Highclare 18 – Stockland Green 35 Team: Salif Kamara, Harnekh Johal, Ibraheem Hussein, Sebastian Hoffman, Haider Mukhtar, Emre Karakaya, Amaan Hoq, Jude Hughes, Charlie England, Matthew Foletti.
Results: Tristar 2 Jodie Andrews – 4th out of 35 Ruby Newman – 5th out of 35 Sebastian Hoffman – 21st out of 21
Year 7/8 v Stockland Green (Highclare Sports Field, May 2018) Result: Highclare 18 v Stockland Green 35 Team: Leon Nupa, Harry Stephens, Malakai Florey-Meah, Scott Gibson, Cameron Tuck, Christian Kalavanas, Salif Kamara, Harnekh Johal, Ibraheem Hussein, Sebastian Hoffman, Haider Mukhtar, Amaan Hoq. Year 7/8 v Bishop Walsh (Bishop Walsh School, May 2018) Result: Highclare 47 v Bishop Walsh 46 Team: Malakai Florey-Meah, Elliot McLoskey, Christian Kalavanas, Salif Kamara, Harnekh Johal, Ibraheem Hussein, Sebastian Hoffman, Haider Mukhtar, Emre Karakaya. Year 9 v Bishop Walsh (Bishop Walsh School, May 2018) Result: Highclare 35 v Bishop Walsh 25 Team: Kian Bhanabhai, Ben Bonner, Toby Walton, Atish Bangar, Aditya Gosavi, Samuel Flinders, Andrew Evans, Pranav Ramesh, James Wyatt, Kaylah Pedro-Ward. Year 10 v Stockland Green (Highclare Sports Field, May 2018) Result: Highclare 64 v Stockland Green 55 Team: Harry Mills, Jeevan Degun, Jorsh Johal, Bhargav Venna, Piers Robinson, Kadir Kadir, James Gibson, Toby Walton, Sam Flinders. Year 10 v Bishop Walsh (Bishop Walsh, May 2018) Result: Highclare 72 v Bishop Walsh 68 Team: Harry Mills, Jeevan Degun, Jorsh Johal, Bhargav Venna, Piers Robinson, Kadir Kadir, James Gibson, Toby Walton, Sam Flinders.
Tristar 3 Jack Newman – 3rd out of 20 Samuel Harvey – 15th out of 20 Cameron Tuck – 16th out of 20 Harry Stephens – Query (no place) James Gibson – Query (no place)
Senior Sports Day 2018 Highclare Senior Sports day 2018 was once again a brilliant success, the sun shone on Wyndley athletics track and all pupils and staff had an enjoyable morning of competitive sports. Senior School sports day is an inclusive event where all pupils can contribute to the final result through aiming high and taking part, inspiring team spirit and a fantastic atmosphere, congratulations to all involved.
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Junior School Art Competition 2018 Highclare School hosted their 4th annual Junior Schools Art Competition, resulting in a gala viewing and presentation evening on Thursday. In all 725 entries were received in two different age categories from pupils covering a variety of Junior Schools across the region. Mrs Vanessa Hughes, Head of Art at Highclare Senior School, who acted as judge, said, “The quality of the entries this year was exceptional and highlighted the amount of talent we have amongst junior school pupils in this area. I was particularly impressed with the depth of the children’s imagination and their interest in historical and modern art.” A special mention to Camille Burrows, Sian Sabharwal, Emma Chan, Joshua Jones and Jack Roper, winners from Highclare Junior School and congratulations to Harman Singh Ahluwalia, our overall winner from Mayfield Preparatory School.
Headmasters Golf Challenge Now in its third year, the Headmaster’s Golf Challenge returned to Walmley Golf Club this June and proved once again to be an extremely enjoyable evening of competitive golf and socialising.
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The sun held out for an evening of glorious weather as 5 teams played a game of Texas scramble across 9 holes. It was a very close competition with the St Andrews team taking victory. The team comprised Steve Cartmell, Keith Hopkinson, Damian O’Sullivan and Steve Hughes. Thanks must go to Gerry Delaney and Brad Hurst for their wonderful organisation and our sponsors for their kind donation and sponsorship of the event. Of course, a big thank you goes to Walmley Golf Club for their kind hospitality.
Highclare School Actions Speak Louder Than Words
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