Headmaster's Welcome
Headmaster's News, Friday 22nd October, 2021
Oct 22, 2021
22 October 2021
Dear Parents
Out and About with Year 1
I visited Year 1 on Monday. The class was focusing on Phonics and Phonemes. They were
split into groups and I managed to catch up with the group that was working with Mrs Wilson.
oa and er are the sounds for this week. The children have been working on these sounds
each day and they have formed the basis of their spellings. The children were very keen to
engage me in the lesson as soon as I sat down. Hana explained that she was matching the
correct word with the picture. Emily explained that they were learning oa and er words and
then confidently read, ‘Sam put the toad in the pond’. Yahya, who was close by, was very
keen to show me what he had achieved so far and he proudly presented his work to me.
Brandon was unsure how to draw a toad but, with a little guidance and support, he was off to
give it a go. Oliver and Edward were trying to match a tree with a word when Declan said
‘oak tree!’ to get their final match. At the same time, George was taking his time drawing a
picture of an oak tree. Sara Bibi was deep in concentration before she correctly found her
final answer and proudly read to me, ‘a bar of pink soap’ and then turned to me to say, ‘I
have got bars of soap at home’. Rayyan and Thea were both examining a picture of bread.
Thea decided it was ‘toast’ and Rayyan decided it was a ‘loaf’. They both agreed it could be
both answers. Umar and Yusuf came to show me a completed sheet before rushing off to
get on with the next section. When the children had finished the written tasks, they were
asked to build sentences with building blocks. I was impressed by their discussions as they
worked hard together to build sentences. Wei Yi and Liyaana were enjoying the challenge
alongside other children and celebrating when they completed a sentence.
Thank you Year 1 for being so welcoming on Monday. I really enjoyed working with you. I
look forward to returning later in the year to watch the other groups in action.
Grammar Schools Results
Congratulations to all the children who sat the Grammar School examinations. I was very
proud of your attitude and maturity in the lead up to the examinations and on the day. The
results that you achieved were also excellent. Well done!
Building Work
The school will be taking advantage of the two-week half term to work on the outside of the
main school building. Scaffolding will be erected around three sides of the building. This
should not impact the Holiday Club or Nursery. Drop-off and collection arrangements for
Holiday Club have already been parentmailed to you.
Preston Schools’ Mini Skills Competition
On Tuesday 12 October, we went to Preston College to take part in an event called Mini
Skills. We had six sporting activities to complete against 30 other teams. We were all quite
nervous at first but then after the first activity we felt more confident. The activities we did
were ball skills, races and relays, we didn’t know the results until we got back to school. At
the end of the day, we found out that we had won! By Drew
Year 4 Netball
Well done to all the Year 4 girls who represented Highfield playing in their first ever match
against Sedbergh Prep School. Both teams showed great enthusiasm and determination.
Their passing and moving around the court was good and showed promise for future
matches. All the girls really enjoyed the experience and it was lovely to be back hosting
visiting schools again. The results were The Maroon Team won 6-3 and The Blue Team won
2-0. Well done! Mrs Parsons
Harold Slater Shield Football Competition
The Under 11 boys competed against St Ignatius in the first round of the Preston Schools’
Cup on Wednesday. The boys started well, playing very attractive football, passing the ball
around and maintaining possession. As the time started running out, penalties looked like
they could be the only way to decide the match. However, with a minute left Aaron broke
away and managed to beat the keeper who had already pulled-off a lot of good saves. This
was followed seconds later by another well taken goal from Aaron. The final score was 2-0
to Highfield. An excellent finish to this half-term and an impressive start to the season,
winning three out of three games. We now look forward to playing St Peter’s Primary School
in the next round.
U11 Hockey v Sedbergh
Both our U11 hockey teams played in their first hockey match of the season against
Sedbergh. The A team pushed back and dominated the game from the start, with some
excellent defending and passes through midfield, creating lots of chances for our forwards. It
was Sedbergh who managed to score the first goal, even after some amazing saves by our
new goalkeeper Eliza. The Highfield spirit shone through and the girls came out even
stronger with Aibhlin scoring two goals in quick succession. In the final minutes of the game,
a great pass from Lyla in midfield found Aibhlin in the D once again and she swept the ball
home to complete her hat trick and earn her player of the match.
Next up was our B team, most of whom have never played in a competitive hockey match
before. They worked brilliantly as a team, putting together everything we’d worked on in
practice and created some great chances. It was the Sedbergh team however who managed
to score 3 goals in quick succession as half time approached. Our defence really stepped up
making some great tackles, sending the ball to our midfield and forwards who unfortunately
just couldn’t find the back of the goal today. Well done to all the girls and to player of the
match Lyla. Mrs Botton
U11 Preston Schools’ Hockey Tournament
Highfield joined around 20 other Preston primary schools at UCLan for a sunny afternoon of
hockey. We came up against some tough opposition and the rules were slightly different to
what we are used to. However, we did not let this faze us and the whole team defended
excellently, only conceding 2 goals in the whole tournament. The girls played 6 matches in
total, winning 2, drawing 2 and losing 2 finishing in bronze medal position. Well done
girls. Mrs Botton
Safeguarding Update
Please could I remind parents of the advice that was given at the Curriculum Evenings
regarding keeping TV and computer screens in a public place in your house. Children now
have easy access to inappropriate material on YouTube and TV streaming sites. This can
also be an issue where there are older siblings in the house. Please make sure that you
have the correct settings in place to protect your child. The recent hit show on Netflix, ‘Squid
Games’ is a 15 and is inappropriate for primary school children. There is evidence that this
show has been watched by young children across the country, including at Highfield. This
show is inappropriate and can have a serious impact on a child’s mental health. Please see
the attachment from safer schools which gives advice on streaming safely. Thank you for
your support in keeping children safe.
School Survey
We will be launching a school survey later today. This questionnaire is based on one that is
issued by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. If your child has been at the school for a
while, please reflect back on the last few years, before and after the pandemic. If your child
has just started, please answer from your first half-term’s experience. If any common themes
emerge from the survey they will be discussed at SMT and Governor level and will assist us
as we plan future developments across the school.
Mufti Day
Thank you to everyone who supported our Halloween Mufti Day today, we have raised over
£130.
Merit Awards 15.10.21
RB: Olivia 1W: Enzo 2E: Isabella
3J: Aisha 3M: Harriet M 4H: Samira 4M: Melissa 5D: Aarnav 6P: Lily
Merit Awards 22.10.21
RB: Adam 1W: Wei Yi 2E: Freddie
3J: Nathan 3M: William 4H: Drew 4M: Imogen 5D: Violet 6P: Taylor
I hope you all have an enjoyable half-term and I look forward to seeing you on Monday 8 November.
Yours sincerely
J M Duke
Headmaster
