The Reception children enjoyed tackling their new topic involving weights and measures. They worked excitedly in groups to find and use items found around the classroom to determine which ones would make the scales move up or down, and they particularly loved the challenge of trying to find items that would make the scales balance perfectly. And they quickly discovered that a big object didn’t necessarily weigh more than a small one as they worked carefully in pairs to record their results.

Rosie Snagge, Reception Class Teacher

Neurological developments suggest there is a connection between memory and music where music improves cognitive skills, including verbal retention. The combination of learning a language with music and actions creates a powerful tool for memorising key words and phrases which explains why many of the Spanish songs the children learn become maddening earworms that even the staff find themselves repeating at random times of the day! Year 1 have this week been learning the days of the week in Spanish, using music and actions to help memorise the words, as well as producing a booklet of ‘Los dias de la semana’ to take home.

Leana Staring, Year 1 Spanish Teacher

Working with care and attention to detail in English, Year 2 were tasked with identifying features of a non-chronological text, such as headings, sub-headings, diagrams, labels and fact boxes. The children highlighted the most pertinent parts of various questions prior to using skimming and scanning techniques to find crucial words within the text which led them to discover the answers to comprehension questions. And they finished with a flourish by reciting, as a group, a carefully laid out presentation on Concorde as part of their current transport topic.

Shirley Jervis, Year 2 Class Teacher

If Highfield and Brookham had to become a sustainable food source, how would we re-design our grounds to do so? This was the question Year 3 were asked at forest school this week. On a walk through the woods and grounds, the inquisitive children discussed building chicken runs, planting orchards and building a pond for fish; understanding the need to work together to find solutions to world hunger as part of their current topic of ‘our food, our world’. Having been given a clear brief, Year 3 then returned to their classrooms to design their own sustainable farms.

Rosie Statham, Head of Lower Prep

Year 5 pupils have been learning about entering data onto Excel spreadsheets and then adding formulae to process and understand more about that data. Using the SUM, AVERAGE, MAX and MIN functions on their data, the children were able to sort and calculate the data, which is a valuable skill and that Year 5 will continue to explore.

Richard Dunn, Head of ICT

As part of their weekly wellbeing lessons, Year 6 took to the great outdoors this week to walk their way to better mental health. Walking has been long associated with good mental and physical health and the children relished the opportunity to wander and chat with their peers, with a couple of canine pals for company too. After revelling in the brilliant surroundings of our wonderful grounds and being out in the fresh air, there were definite signs of improved mood, better concentration and improved learning back in the classroom!

Eleanor Ingamells, Year 6 Class Teacher

Undaunted by drizzly rain, the U12 girls played superbly against visitors Twyford on Wednesday. The girls, split into three teams and rotated on and off the pitch, were always in control, passing the ball around nicely and keeping possession effectively. Over the course of the three matches, Highfield scored four goals without reply, with Emily P, Isobel C and Tallulah H having great games in goal while Mia B, Iona D, Izzy G and Tiggy W all scored fine goals at the other end of the pitch. The girls are really starting to play some great football and are in a great position ahead of their tournament next week.

Dan Bather, Director of Sport

Year 8 are learning about music videos this term and their impact on how we listen to music. This week, the children watched four of the most-viewed music videos of all time – Gangnam Style by Psy, Sugar by Maroon 5, Roar by Katy Perry and Waka Waka by Shakira, the official anthem of the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa – to compare, contrast and critique them and to determine whether or not they felt and how or if they enhanced the song. This will give Year 8 a greater understanding, appreciation and awareness of music.

John Mühlemann, Director of Music