Congratulations to all our junior children who took part in a very enjoyable Sports Day. The level of effort and support for each other was lovely to see with many excellent individual and team performances. I really enjoyed watching the skills you have been working on in class, especially the javelin and relay events which were all hotly contested. The final winners on the day were Fylde in the overall competition and Bowland in the tug of war. Thank you to Mrs Parsons and Mrs Botton for organising the event and to all the parents and grandparents for their support on the day.
Year 4 enjoyed a fun school trip to Brockholes Nature Reserve last week. In the morning, the class focused on fire-lighting and den-building which links to their history topic on the Stone Age. The children enjoyed talking about what they had already learnt and how all the parts of an animal would have been used in some way back then - for example, fur for clothes and blankets, and teeth for jewellery. After learning about fire-safety, the pupils then took turns at lighting their own little fires using cotton wool and were amazed how quickly it burnt! They then had a chance to make their own den and we had a range of fabulous designs - one with its own en-suite and one that included a kitchen with utensils!
After a lunch break with a beautiful view over the water, the pupils had an orienteering task. Despite it not being a race it became quite competitive and included some excellent examples of teamwork. The children even spotted a deer and its baby in one of the fields. There was also time for a little play and everyone enjoyed the swings and zip-lines! With great weather and an action-packed agenda, they were all beautifully tired-out on their return to school!
The school had a day of festivities last Friday to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. The day started with a whole school assembly where the children impressed me with their knowledge of the Coronation, discussing the next day’s events and the special items, like the orb and the sceptre, that would be held by the King during the ceremony. The assembly ended with the school singing the National Anthem. I then visited Reception where they were all sitting, wearing their crowns that they had made earlier in the week and eating some of the King’s favourite breakfast food, croissants. The day continued with lots of coronation-themed activities including the creation of a large coronation crown made up of sections from all the classes. A royal lunch was served on royal tablecloths, with all the Junior children waving flags and wearing hats.
Mrs McIlwaine will be retiring (early!) from Highfield Priory School at the end of this academic year. She has had 27 years’ association with the school as a parent and as a member of staff. Her dedication and commitment to her role has been greatly valued by us all. We look forward to celebrating her time at Highfield at the end of this term. She will be greatly missed by staff and pupils alike and I would like to wish her the very best for the future.
The excitement has been building all week as the pile of Easter Eggs has grown in the Office. I think we have had more visits to the Office than ever before with plenty of children taking extra time and care when handing over their register! I know many had mentally selected their egg before the first ticket was drawn yesterday. As the raffle approached, I could hear the tickets rustling as I went round the classrooms and many children were checking their numbers on the way to the Sports Hall. It was lovely to see the children jump up with delight as they won and make their way straight to their chosen egg. The final draw was this morning and Naina was the lucky winner of the big egg. A huge thank you to Ms Eccles for organising the raffle.
Congratulations to all the children who contributed to the Geography Exhibition. Your exhibits were amazing, and the amount of thought and time spent on each exhibit was very clear to see. I really enjoyed hearing about what inspired you, the research you did and how many of you really enjoyed the time spent with your parents on the project. The exhibition has certainly inspired a real passion for Geography and was a celebration of all your hard work and enthusiasm for the event. If you didn’t get the opportunity to see the exhibition, please take a look at our Facebook page where you will be able to see some of the exhibits. A big thank you to Mrs Davidson for organising this event.
On Wednesday evening, Landmark was the place to be in Preston with Highfield Priory School’s performance of The Jungle Book. Children from the age of 4 to 11 took to the stage in front of a large audience to tell the story of The Jungle Book through dance and drama. With bright lights shining, loud music and an unfamiliar setting, I was amazed at just how fearless the children were. They shone in the spotlight and thoroughly enjoyed their moment on stage. Miss Burns’ dancers brought the story to life and confidently showed off the dance skills they have learned this year in their dance lessons. Our Year 4 actors commanded the stage with poise and confidence, delivering their lines superbly. They even sang In the Jungle in French! They have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, from the rehearsals in school, the bus journeys to and from the theatre and the final production. It will be an experience and memory that will stay with them for life. Congratulations to everyone who took part and thank you to our directors, Miss Burns and Mrs Jones, to Mr Drake on the sound and lights, to Mrs Morrice on costumes, to the Landmark staff and to all the staff at school who helped on the night and made it possible. What a team!
Highfield Priory School celebrated Chinese New Year last week. On Tuesday, we invited the Confucius Institute from Lancaster University to visit every class in the school throughout the day. I joined Year 5 for their visit. The lesson started with the children learning how to greet each other in Chinese. They discussed Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated. They also learned how to say Happy New Year and had fun sharing this greeting. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit and the children loved discovering the characteristics of someone born in the Year of the Rabbit and in the year of their birth. They enjoyed learning about all the different animals and their characteristics. They particularly liked finding out that I was a Rat! All the children had a wonderful Chinese lunch, prepared and served by our kitchen staff. A big thank you to everyone who made the day possible, especially the staff from Lancaster University. Please enjoy the pictures on our Facebook pages.
Happy New Year! The children returned last week re-energised and excited about the term ahead. Our full programme of activities has started, ranging from Little Aces to Mad Science! We also have a number of popular new activities this year, including Chatterbooks and Quiz Club. There are a number of exciting events to look forward to this term, starting next week with a celebration of Chinese New Year. We will be holding a themed lunch and we have invited visitors from Lancaster University to talk about Chinese New Year to the children. We have also booked the Landmark Theatre again for our Year 4 performance of The Jungle Book, supported by Miss Burns’ dancers. These events are just two of the many exciting events in our term ahead.
Last week, the Boogie-Woogie Nativity came to Highfield. The programme stated that this Nativity was a toe-tapping, hand-clapping Nativity musical and it really was! The performers and their audience all had lots of fun, watching and taking part in the dances and songs. Our Year 2 performers acted incredibly well, managing to project their voices across the Sports Hall. The singing, from Year 1 and Reception, was beautifully complemented by some very impressive choreography from Miss Burns’ dancers. I really enjoyed seeing our Infant and Reception classes coming together for this fantastic, and very memorable, Nativity performance. A big thank you to Ms Eccles, Mrs Street and all the staff involved in the production.
It was fantastic to see the whole School and Nursery community coming together for the Winter Fayre last Friday. The classes had worked hard throughout the week and on the day to provide a range of items to sell. The chocolate raffle, lucky dip and waffle stand were particularly popular. Thank you to all the parents, children and staff who donated prizes, made items to sell or offered their help. It was a wonderful way to finish the week.
Welcome to our first Musical Assembly of the year. We have many musicians performing for you today, and we would like to welcome back our woodwind teacher, Mrs Adewale and our guitar teacher Mr Taylor. Today, some children will be performing for the very first time and we would like to congratulate them for really challenging themselves. There are probably more musicians playing today than ever before and we are delighted that the enthusiasm for learning an instrument at Highfield, continues to grow. Good luck to all our musicians. We will begin with the very first performance of our new Junior Choir. We have been learning several songs this term, but we have voted for our favourite: ‘Grumpy Teacher’. We would just like to reassure the teachers here today, that we are definitely not singing about anyone at Highfield!
There was also a surprise performance by Tejas who played ‘Happy Birthday’ for his brother, Sanketh!
On Saturday, four teenagers broke onto the school site and set fire to our Nursery School. The news has shocked the whole school community and left us reeling as we come to terms with such senseless waste and destruction. However, in true Highfield spirit, the school and wider community have sprung into action to make the best of this terrible situation. As I write this, teachers are moving out of their classrooms and creating new spaces within school to accommodate our Nursery within the main building; site staff are working tirelessly to make it possible; and pupils and parents (past and present) have brought in toys and books and offered their comfort and support throughout the week. The reaction from our school community and the people of Preston has been quite incredible. One particular moment, I think, will stay with me forever: at the end of the school day, a former pupil walked up to me clutching his savings, and, with a quiet determination, thrust them into my hands telling me that he wanted me to have it for the Nursery. It was a gesture that was characteristic of the kindness of this boy, who has only just moved onto his secondary school, and I was really touched that he had returned to us in our moment of crisis with a genuine desire to help.
Thank you 4J and Mrs Jones for a fantastic Harvest Assembly last Friday. We learnt so much from you about how the Harvest festival originated, how it is celebrated around the world and how the food comes all the way from the farmers’ fields to our homes. You spoke with eloquence and confidence, setting a wonderful example to the rest of the school. Thank you also to our Infant and Reception classes for your beautiful singing of one of our Harvest Festival favourites: ‘Big Red Combine Harvester.’
Thank you to everyone for your kind food donations which were sent to SafeNet Preston and Bethany House. We also raised over £400 for Water Aid.
It has been a busy couple of weeks at Highfield with our extra-curricular programme fully underway. The children have been taking part in a wide range of sporting activities, early morning Bootcamp, Art and Design and Spanish Club to name but a few. We have also held auditions for the School Choir and our first sports matches of the year. I have really enjoyed running Chess Club with over twenty competitive players turning up. The camaraderie and friendly competition were great to watch as players moved up and down our chess ladder as they won and lost games. I am looking forward to building a strong team this year with the hope of holding matches against other schools and attending County Congress and competitions. It has been a real pleasure seeing the children working hard and making the most of all the opportunities available to them. We look forward to posting pictures on our social media pages over the coming weeks
We had a wonderful start to the new academic year on Monday with all the children returning to school looking exceptionally smart and chattering with excitement about the year ahead. I joined a number of classes to see what they were getting up to in their first week of term. On Tuesday, I visited Year One as they were drawing pictures about what makes them happy. The children then described their pictures to the rest of the class. They spoke confidently and with big smiles as they described everything that makes them happy. I was really touched by Freya’s picture in which she was playing with other children in the playground and making them feel happy. I hope this thoughtful and heart-warming answer from such a young member of the Infants inspires the whole school to consider how it feels to make other people happy.
And so Year 6, as you approach the gates of your new school, think of Highfield. Think of the special friendships you have made here and look to find those qualities in others. Think of the work ethic you have developed here at Highfield and look to take that forward into your academic endeavours in Year 7. Think of the friendly faces of your teachers here at Highfield and look to see their smiles and reassurance in the faces of your new teachers. Think of the many opportunities your parents and teachers have provided for you here at Highfield and seek out new opportunities in your next school. When you stand at the gates of your new school Year 6, don’t hesitate, think of Highfield and walk through them with pride and confidence. Happiness and fulfilment await.
We had a very special morning today as the school community came together to celebrate Year 6 and their time with us at Highfield. We enjoyed re-living so many amazing memories, from the cuddly bunny they used to take it in turns to take home in Reception, to their performance of Victorian Villainy in Year 3, to Bikeability just a few days ago in Year 6. It was also great fun looking at their pictures from throughout their years and their leavers’ dance video! They just have one more week left and I know they will make the most of their last few days at Highfield. They have made life-long friends and we will look forward to welcoming them back and hearing all their news. Please stay in touch! A big thank you to Mrs Prince for organising Year 6’s final assembly.
Years 5 and 6 love going to Manor Adventure! It is one of the highlights of their time at Highfield. Some of the most exciting activities include the high abseiling wall, the epic high ropes, the rocky wall climbing, the amazing zip wire, super rifle shooting, cool canoeing, kayaking and so much more. My favourite part of Manor Adventure was abseiling. I like this activity because there was a way for the less confident people to still attempt and enjoy it as the instructor would lower them down on the abseiling wall, while the more confident people could lower themselves down with the help of the instructor. The best thing about Manor Adventure is that there is something for everyone. My two weekends at Manor Adventure have been such an incredible experience and, if I could, I would do it all again. They are memories I will cherish forever.
Yesterday, the school celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Flags and bunting adorned the school and there was a sea of red, white and blue flowing around the corridors as the children walked between classes. The children took part in a wide range of activities throughout the day: Royal crown making, Jubilee acrostic poems, designing your own royal stamp and Jubilee story writing, to name a few. The school also worked on a whole school collage which was displayed at the end of the day. The school came together at lunchtime for their Jubilee picnic: flying flags, wearing crowns, listening to Jubilee music and watching a video of the Queen’s Coronation as it played in the background.
The children have been having a great time at the Highfield Holiday Club! ☀️ ☀️
Enjoying the warm summer sun, they kept cool by enjoying ice lollies and playing in the paddling pool. 🙂 🙂Photos from Highfield Priory School's post ... See moreSee less
