Thank you Year 6 for a brilliant Leavers Assembly! You brought back so many amazing memories from your time at Highfield; it was lovely to hear you speak of the moments that have been special to you. You really made us laugh with your fantastic rendition of ‘Amarillo’ through the corridors and classrooms of Highfield! It was wonderful to celebrate the years with you, applaud your achievements and there were definitely a few tears shed and lumps in the throat! You are a wonderful class and this morning you provided us with another beautiful memory. I look forward to continuing to celebrate your success next week with your School Production and Speech Day.
Congratulations to James and Olivia D who represented the North at the National Finals in Birmingham. Olivia achieved Bronze medals in the 75m and the 150m and a Silver in the 4x100m Relay. James achieved a Silver medal in the relay. There will be photographs posted on Facebook over the weekend of both children on the track and receiving their medals from the Ambassador for Sport for the ISA. Well done to both pupils, this is an excellent achievement out of 370 schools in the Independent Schools’ Association.
It has been an incredibly busy week at Highfield this week with 4 Inspectors looking at every aspect of the school. The feedback was extremely positive and I will be able to give a full report once the official report has been published. Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey; we had 136 responses which is very good for the short period of time given and it provided excellent evidence for the Inspectors. I would like to thank the whole Highfield community for their continued support.
A party of Year 5 and 6 children travelled to Manor Adventure in Shropshire on the Bank Holiday weekend to take part in a range of outdoor adventurous activities from an underground maze to the high ropes! We were blessed with wonderful weather and the children took full advantage of every activity on offer. Highlights were the canoeing and kayaking which involved lots of games, singing and getting very wet! Another very popular activity was the new high ropes course which could take over ten pupils at a time working their way round an assault course which was very high above the ground. All the teachers had a go at this activity but I’m afraid many of the children put us to shame, whizzing round the course quickly as we progressed very cautiously with one child completing the course five times! It was a very successful weekend with the children really working hard together, supporting and encouraging one another. Thank you to Mr Drake, Miss McShane and Mr Sheppeck for running the weekend.
We are hosting an Alumni Hockey Event on Friday 17th June. This will start at 4pm with the old boys and girls training and offering advice to our present pupils. This will then be followed by an exhibition match between old boys and girls. If you know any of our Alumni who currently play hockey and would like to take part in this event or if you would just like to come along and support the players on the day, please do get in touch with the school so we can have an idea of numbers and organise the event successfully. I will also be delighted to arrange tours of the school so you can see any recent developments and reminisce about your own time at Highfield. We have had a number of old boys and girls getting in touch with the school over the last few years and we also have a number of existing parents who were pupils at Highfield so it would be great to see as many of you here on the day as possible. Please have a look at our Alumni Facebook page for further details and confirm your attendance by emailing rmcshane@highfieldpriory.co.uk
Year 6 made their second trip of the year to Bethany House on Tuesday. They have been learning a number of very traditional songs in choir which they felt would be ideal to sing to the residents. The children have really enjoyed singing these songs and it wasn’t long before they had all the residents joining in. Two favourites were, “I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside” and “Pack Up Your Troubles” which they asked the children to sing again. It was lovely to witness the two generations singing together before going on to share stories about the past, families and the children’s time at school. It is a very rewarding time for the children who were so engrossed in conversation that they would have quite happily stayed for lunch. They were buzzing from their experience on their return to school; a memory that I hope will stay with them when they move onto their Secondary schools next year.
On Monday, I went to watch 3J during their Art lesson. I was very excited to be watching them in action after seeing their fabulous Still Life drawings from last term. They were painting landscapes from North American National Parks which is linked to the topic they have been studying in their Humanities lessons. I was struck first by the atmosphere in the classroom: soft relaxing music was playing as each child really focused on their piece of work in their own little world, capturing every detail. I watched Miss Jewitt give very specific advice to each pupil who went to speak to her and the pupils then went straight away to focus on the area highlighted. Sasha showed me her picture of a natural arch. She said that it was difficult to show the different shades of colour. I was very impressed; the darker colours really gave the picture perspective, making it very striking. Aditya had finished his picture which was also impressive. Proudly, he talked me through the steps that he had taken to complete it successfully. He then moved on to recreating the picture using a sketch book express programme on the new school ipads. Darcey was working very hard to mix the colours and then to blend them in to her picture to create the correct effect. She explained that if she wasn’t happy with the finish, she could paint the base layer again before applying the shading. Zain was copying a very difficult picture and was working really hard to show all the different textures on the rock. Daisy was also deep in concentration and was building real depth in her picture, showing the impact that the setting sun can have on the different colours of the sky. Finally, Francesca explained that Miss Jewitt had told her to focus on her brush strokes, making sure that she used the tip of the brush for more control and to improve the quality of the picture. The standard of the whole class was incredible and all the children were taking real care to make sure the picture was a true reflection of what they were looking at. The children’s vocabulary, control and understanding was quite amazing and it was a wonderful experience to watch the pictures really come to life in front of them. Thank you Year 3 for such a rewarding experience. I left deep in thought and contemplation as though I had just left a professional art studio. I hope we will display some of your wonderful creations on our Facebook pages in the coming weeks.
Thank you 3J for your fabulous assembly this morning which gave us a real insight into you as individuals and as members of 3J. You spoke very eloquently about your individual talents with many of you giving us a demonstration or performance. What a talented class you are! There were activities ranging from photography and gymnastics to bouncing on a pogo stick! I really enjoyed watching your individual characters shine through and seeing just how talented you are. Thank you 3J and thank you Mrs Jones for a brilliant assembly on your last day at Highfield before embarking on your Maternity Leave. 3J, you really gave Mrs Jones an excellent send off!
Congratulations to Years 3 and 5 for their wonderful performance of ‘Archibald’s War’ last night. The acting and singing were outstanding, with every child really enjoying and taking full advantage of their time in the limelight. I think the play really appealed to the children with very catchy and traditional songs, like “Cheer-Up Granny!” and “Dig For Victory”; and the story of Archibald the teddy bear who was looked after by children of a similar age to themselves. The Year 5 actors became Evacuees, Village Residents, Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents, Farmers and GIs before our eyes. They lived their part from the moment ‘Archibald’s War’ began to the closing song: “Hold on Tight to Your Memories”. The play helped the children to have a greater understanding of the work they have studied on World War 2. I was amazed and delighted by our Year 3 children who not only delivered their words with sensitivity and confidence, but also wrote their letters, diaries and poems themselves. Fantastic! I would like to thank all the staff involved, especially Mrs Duke and Miss Macklam for their excellent direction and for giving the children a chance to show off their talent in such an entertaining and thought-provoking way.
The sun has been shining this week and the children have really been taking advantage of this wonderful weather. I popped into Pre-School to see what they were up to. I watched Joshua and Raees who were rolling a big tyre together and showing excellent team work. Alexander, Arthur and Toby were playing an imaginative game in which they were sitting very closely together in the house, with big grins on their faces, saying that they were hiding from a bear! Aamir was keen to show me the new bridge, walking across it very proudly before showing me you could swing on it as well. Mrs Harrison was being creative with Samira, Amaanah and Polly cutting and sticking different bits of paper to make a picture. They were deep in concentration, creating a masterpiece! Finally, I went inside to watch Amelia, Naina and Siya who were working in a small group with Miss Halstead on their CVC words. They first recognised the words saying them out loud, then spent time recognising different pictures before writing the word down on a board. The children really enjoyed the activity and were keen to show what they could do and keen to improve their ability to write down the words. I really enjoyed my morning in Pre-School, watching the children take full advantage of a variety of activities and interacting with each other and the staff.
Toby Lester, Lancashire Cricketer, visited school just before we broke up for Easter. He worked with nearly every age group. He looked at the basic concepts of striking, bowling and fielding with our younger pupils and had a session in the nets with our Year 5 and 6 pupils. It was lovely to see Toby interacting with the children who really responded to his words of encouragement and tips on technique. In the net session after school, they also got to see Toby bowling. We were all impressed by the speed he generated off just a few paces, knocking the cricket stumps over with his first two balls. The children were also given a clear
insight into life as a professional sportsman in a question and answer session at the end of the day and on his experiences in his first year.
I would like to thank Toby for coming to visit us and we all wish him the best of luck for the season ahead. A huge thank you to Mr Drake for organising this visit.
Jill Scott, who visited us earlier that week, has also been busy making the headlines after scoring the equaliser against Belgium in the European Cup qualifiers.
There are lots of pictures and video clips on our Facebook page so please take a look.
Here are a few highlights from this term: excellent results for our pupils sitting Independent Schools’ Examinations; our amazing swimmers achieved success regionally and nationally; 9 children have been selected to play Chess for the county at Under 9 and Under 11 level and have qualified for the National Finals; 98 pupils were involved in a fantastic production of ‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’ at The Charter Theatre and our sporting fortnight has included visits and inspiration from two professional sports stars. What a talented group of children we have at Highfield and all this in just an eleven week term! I think our children all deserve a good rest to recharge their batteries before another exciting term begins. I look forward to seeing you all return for the start of a new term on Tuesday 12 April.
Friday was the start of a very exciting two weeks of celebrating sport at Highfield. Last Friday, our Northern ISA swimming team attended the Preston Sports’ Awards after being shortlisted for Junior Team of the Year. This included all Under 18 teams from across Preston. We were the only school in this category and we were joint runners up to Preston North End Girls’ (U14) Football team. The Highfield team was invited onto the stage and received a certificate in front of over 360 people.
The success carried on: on Monday, the ISA Ambassador for Sport, Mr Brierley, attended Highfield Priory School to present Oliver Covill with a very special trophy for being the best Junior boy in the country after winning three golds at the Olympic pool and breaking a National Record. Mr Brierley then spoke to the children about the importance of sport. After the Assembly he visited our new all-weather pitch and watched our Reception class in action before having a chat to them about why they like sport.
On Monday afternoon, our swimming team entered the Preston Schools Swimming Gala and won Division One, picking up three golds and two silvers in the individual events.
Next week, we have our first two sporting stars of the term visiting the school: Footballer Jill Scott is coming on Tuesday afternoon. Jill has represented England over 100 times and will spend some time talking and training with the children. On Thursday, Toby Lester is coming to school. He has recently started his professional cricket career at Lancashire and will have just returned from Pre-Season training in Dubai the day before. He took three wickets in his first match for Lancashire last year and one with his first ball! We hope to get more sporting stars in next term as well as inviting some old boys and girls back to school to play on and see the new all-weather pitch.
It is Open Day on Sunday from 11am until 3pm for all current and prospective parents. Please come and have a look at the children’s work on display and celebrate their achievements from this year. It also gives you an opportunity to have a look at what lies ahead for your child in the coming years. Please tell any friends about our Open Day as we would like to celebrate your children’s work and achievements with as many people as possible. Thank you!
This is on Sunday 13 March from 11am until 3pm. The whole school will be open for our current and prospective parents to take a tour. The children’s work will be on display which will give you the opportunity to see what they will be doing in the coming years. Please do come along and tell anyone else who may be interested to visit. We have had such a successful and busy year and it would be lovely to celebrate our children’s achievements with as many people as possible.
It is also an important day for our Years 4-6 pupils who act as guides to prospective parents. We will be inviting children from younger age groups to attend next week to assist with demonstrations and activities. The children really enjoy this experience and love to talk about what they do and achieve at Highfield which helps them with their presentation and communication skills. Please return your slip as soon as possible so that we can organise the timetable for tours and make sure they can benefit from this learning experience.
Thank you Year 6 for a brilliant Assembly this morning about having the courage to do the right thing. I really enjoyed watching your play about Jonah and the Whale. After watching all the assemblies this year, and our other performances, you could certainly see that you were ready to take full advantage of being centre stage. Your acting and delivery were excellent and you looked like you enjoyed your moment in the spotlight. Even more importantly, you conveyed an important message to the rest of the school. Thank you 6H and Mrs Haythornthwaite for arranging the assembly.
I hope you all have an enjoyable half-term break and I look forward to seeing you all on Monday 22 February.
There was only one show in town on Thursday night and that was, ‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’! Ninety-six pupils, from Reception through to Year 6, wowed the audience with their stage presence and a performance which would have been impressive from children twice their age! The dancers performed a range of dances from a sailors’ jig to ballet dancing spies to clowns and tumblers to street dancing aliens to classical ballet to name but a few! All the dances were integrated seamlessly into the play. The Year 4 actors were incredible and not at all fazed by acting on one of the largest stages in the North West in front of over 250 people. It is hard to believe that they are only eight and nine years old. It was an amazing achievement considering they have just had a few full run-throughs and rehearsed in their thirty minute HPSED and Dance lessons once a week. A big thank you to all the staff who helped out, to Mrs Shackleton for her support and provision of props and of course to Mrs Duke and Miss Burns, our amazing directors. West End here we come!
Last Saturday, six of our swimmers swam in the ISA National Finals in the Olympic Pool, London, representing Highfield and the North of England. It was an incredible experience for this young team; from their journey down, to walking through the Olympic Park, to entering the Olympic Pool itself. They were supported by a large contingent of family, friends, grandparents and peers from school. Just qualifying to swim was an outstanding achievement, however, they went on to swim amazingly well. They swam in 13 out of 25 Primary School races which is a fantastic representation from just one school. The following results are the children’s highest placed results: in Year 4, Zahara came 4th in Breaststroke, Sophie came 2nd in Breaststroke and James came 3rd in Backstroke; in Year 5, Oliver came 1st in three events and in Freestyle he broke the ISA record which was held by James Guy (who is the 200m Freestyle World Champion). An amazing achievement! Olivia came fourth in the Year 5 Freestyle relay and in Year 6, Matthew who was at his third ISA National event, achieved 3 second places. Congratulations to all our swimmers and our 9 podium finishers who helped the North come 3rd overall!
Congratulations to Year 5 and Year 6 pupils who took their HPSED examinations on Monday. They had to perform as entrepreneurs in the Dragons’ Den and as Young Apprentices in the Board Room. Our entrepreneurs presented products that ranged from a Sunbrella that rotated with the sun to a set of Gaming Headphones that provided you with refreshments whilst you played. Our apprentices created new brands of cereal, from Muddy Mini Minions to Graphic Feast, and new snack bars from SASY, a healthy spinach, seaweed and rice snack to Zesty Bar which was exploding with citrus flavours. They presented adverts, jingles, persuasive pitches and even, in some cases, a sample of the product itself! The standard was exceptionally high and Mrs Duke and Mrs Cunningham were greatly impressed by the children’s good manners, professional behaviour, presentation skills and delicious products!
Our certificate for Excellence and Innovation in our provision of HPSED is now on display in our Entrance Hall.
This has been our first full week back after the Christmas break and it has been great to see all the children busy with a variety of curriculum lessons as well as an ever-increasing range of activities. Our Year 3 Running Club started as well as our junior girls’ football on the all-weather pitch; and our junior cricketers are getting in some early preparation for the cricket season. Rehearsals for ‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’ are well underway and costumes are being prepared. Year Four also had their second outing in the ISA Football Cup.
The Reception children had a wonderful time visiting Smithhills farm this week! 🐄 🐖 🐑
During the visit they were able to feed the animals, watch the cows being milked, hold chicks and rabbits, stroke owls, ponies and alpacas, and even take a ride on the tractor and trailer to feed the donkeys. 🚜 🚜
The children behaved brilliantly and there were a few sleepy heads on the way home after a very busy and fun day. 😴 😄 Well done Reception, a fantastic day out!Photos from Highfield Priory School's post ... See moreSee less
Year 6 have been exploring the world of AI and the part it plays in the modern world during ICT this term. 💻
The class discussed the current uses of this new but rapidly evolving technology and, perhaps more importantly, how it should be used to further help the world in the future.
It was great to hear the class' ideas on how AI could help us with medical science and education. As part of the lesson, the children charted the timeline of AI and where it all began with Alan Turing in the 1940s!Photos from Highfield Priory School's post ... See moreSee less
