This Week’s Headline Story…
Championing Skills-Based Education
23rd May 2025
It is increasingly evident that skills-based learning is not just a trend, but the future of education. At Highfield and Brookham we believe that in a rapidly changing world, it is not enough to educa…
Nursery Swimmers Shine with Confidence and Smiles
Our nursery children were proud to show off their swimming skills to their parents this week. The children took part in different activities such as kicking across the pool on their back and front and blowing bubbles and singing songs with smiles on their faces. Some children jumped in from the deep end of the pool and swimming down to the shallow end using a woggle, much to the delight of the parents. Other children showed their courage by leaping forward towards a teacher in the shallow end. All the children showed how confident they had become in the water which was a joy for all to see.
Sharon Simpson, Head of Swimming
Reception Share Forest School with Their Mothers
The Reception children had a wonderful time exploring the forest with their mothers during forest school. They delighted in making clay faces on trees, crafting nature crowns and cooking jam toasties over an open fire. Their excitement was evident as they eagerly listened to instructions, shared ideas and supported one another, building strong listening and teamwork skills. The children also enjoyed showing their adult around the forest, making it a truly enriching and memorable experience for all.
Natasha Jacklin, Reception Class Teacher
Year1 Get Creative With Fractions
Year 1 have been diving deeper into their learning on fractions this week with a big focus on quarters. Using their creativity skills, the children explored how to divide different shapes into four equal parts. The children continued their learning, using their problem-solving skills, as they tackled the challenge of sharing objects into four equal groups.
Hannah Feery, Year 1 Teacher
Year 2 Explore Faith at the Synagogue
This week, Year 2 took their learning beyond the classroom with an enriching visit to Portsmouth Synagogue. The focus of the trip was to develop respectful understanding around different beliefs and to learn specifically about the Jewish faith. The children showed excellent listening skills as they listened attentively, asked thoughtful questions and demonstrated genuine curiosity throughout the visit. They returned to school with an awareness of the Jewish faith and able to make links to Christianity.
Charlie Millsom, Year 2 Teacher
Year 3 Journey into Animal Poetry
In literacy, this week, Year 3 were learning how to describe animals, thinking about specific elements of the animals, for example. beak, talons etc. Using their internal bank of creative language and combining it with given adjective and verb word banks, Year 3 painted an imaginary picture of their chosen animals. They have created a bank of ideas which they will collate into a poem about an animal.
Rosie Statham, Year 3 Teacher
Year 4 Wow in ‘Archibald’s War’ Performance
This week, Year 4 took to the stage and wowed audiences with their outstanding performance of Archibald’s War. After dedication and hard work during rehearsals, the children confidently showcased their acting, singing and storytelling talents. Their efforts paid off in memorable performances to the enthusiastic audiences of Pre-Prep and Prep pupils and in a fantastic finale for their proud parents. The children should feel incredibly proud of what they have achieved!
Eleanor Ingamells, Year 4 Teacher
Year 5 Create a Quilt of Kindness for the Beehive
As part of our Enrichment programme, the Year 5s thought it would be a lovely idea to collaborate in the making of a quilt for the Beehive. Each pupil in the Year group has (or will have by the end of this term) sewn their own design, including hearts, stars and letter initials, onto small pieces of fabric using a running stitch technique. At the end of term, these sections of fabric will be sewn together to create one large blanket which will be donated to the Beehive.
Rosie Dachtler, Year 5 Teacher
Year 6 Bring the Buddha to Life in Art
Year 6 have been learning about the Buddha and what its characteristics are. This week, 6SG learned how to draw the Buddha. After completing the features, hair, neck and shoulders they carefully started, adding a warm or cool colour scheme to the background of the drawing. Using their listening skills, the children worked to include all the characteristics of a Buddha. The children produced some beautiful drawings of Buddha, which displayed snail hair, droopy ears, a third eye, a peaceful expression and beautiful colouring.
Tamsin Pearson, Year 6 Art Teacher
Year 7 Explore Life After Death
This week in PRE, our Year 7s considered the concept of heaven as part of their topic on life after death. They explored both sacred and secular beliefs and reflected what happens after we die, sharing their own ideas and respectfully comparing beliefs across religions.
Zoe Thesiger-Pratt, PRE Teacher
Year 8 Gear Up for Grease
Year 8 recently took their first exciting step towards their upcoming production of Grease with a lively and inspiring drama workshop focusing on characterisation. Mrs Wilson shared her first-hand experience of performing in the West End and her stories gave the pupils a vivid sense of the energy, commitment and fun that go into staging a professional show. Following this, the children got on their feet to learn the choreography for You’re the One That I Want, embracing the challenge with enthusiasm and positivity. Performing together helped boost their confidence and gave them a taste of the teamwork and spirit they’ll need for their upcoming production.
Susannah Wilson and Ed Elgood LAMDA Teacher and Year 6 Teacher