HESTON TIMES SUMMER 2023

1 DEPUTY HEADTEACHER MESSAGE Welcome to the Summer Edition of the Heston Times. Written by students, it helps to keep our community abreast of the exciting events and developments across the School, capturing the many and varied student experiences from the last term. The articles covering the Year 11 and Year 13 Leavers’ Celebrations emphasise the important crossroads that we all face in life. The sense of joy and pride, so obvious on such days, marks the end of one part of the learning journey and the beginning of exciting, new challenges. As always, our students have been complimentary and appreciative of the efforts made by our community to get them to this stage. As well as relief and excitement, there was a sense of apprehension and, no doubt, nerves will build as the Results Days approach. The informality of the Post 16 Barbeque contrasted with the glamour of the red carpet and finery displayed by the Year 11 cohort at their Prom. Both students and Staff enjoyed the celebrations, which suitably marked the importance of these occasions. The School’s enrichment programme continues to flourish, offering valuable extra-curricular opportunities to all of our students. I am, therefore, delighted to confirm that the long-anticipated cricket nets project will shortly commence on the School field, just behind the Hogarth Building. Given the enthusiasm across the School for this sport, we are confident that this facility will be a valuable addition to both the School and the local community. In addition, a programme of works will improve the Sports Hall facilities, refurbishing the Weights Room and upgrading to the latest fitness equipment for use by Post 16 students and extra-curricular clubs. The School’s Literacy Programme is at the heart of many of our initiatives to support learning. Within this newsletter, there are a number of recommendations for holiday reading. Please encourage your children to read widely over the break, either from the list provided, or any other books they choose. Literacy is the bedrock of learning. We would also like to thank the parents of Year 10 and Year 9 students who recently attended meetings. These purposeful conversations between students, staff and parents focused on the importance of independent learning to succeed at GCSE and closing the knowledge gaps created by the pandemic. It has been a year since we launched our ‘Kind Thoughts… Kind Words’ campaign, encouraging all members of our community to undertake deliberate acts of kindness towards others. This drive is constant and ongoing, as we regularly encourage students to reflect on the values that underpin Heston Community School. How we treat people, is who we are! We were delighted that OFSTED recognised this in their December visit to the School. “Pupils speak proudly about ‘Hestonian values’, such as kindness, honesty, resilience and equality. These values are embedded in the day-to-day life of the school. They provide a shared language for teachers and pupils, inspiring them to be the best that they can be. As a result, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are exceptional.” On behalf of the staff and Governors, I wish you all a safe and happy Summer break. M O’Hagan Deputy Headteacher UPCOMING EVENTS July 21/07: Last Day of Term August 17/08: A Level Results Day 24/08: GCSE Results Day September 04/09: Inset Day [1] 05/09: Inset Day [2] 06/09: Inset Day [3] 07/09: Induction Day—Year 7 & year 12 08/09: Autumn Term Begins—All Year Groups 11/09: Late Enrolment Expectations Morning 12/09: School Photos—Year 7, 9, 12 25/09: Inset Day [4] 28/09: More Able Parents’ Information Evening 03/10: Open Morning/ Evening 06/10: Super Learning Day [1] 16/10: Careers Week 17/10: Careers Fair 19/10: Post 18 Transition Parents Evening The Heston Times Summer 2023 I 21 July 2023 Last Day of Term 17 August 2023 A Level Results Day 24 August 2023 GCSE Results Day 25 August 2023 Y12 Enrolment day 04 - 06 September 2023 Inset Day [1- 3] 7 Septemb r 2023 Induction Day - Y7, Y11 & Y12 AMD 08 September 2023 Autumn Term Begins 11 September 2023 Late Enrolment Expectations Morning 12 September 2023 School Photos - Y7, Y9 & Y12 18 September 2023 Y12 Assessment Day 19 September 2023 Y13 UCAS & Y11 Mock Assessments Start 25 September 2023 Inset Day [4] 28 September 2023 More Able Information Evening 27 - 29 September Y13 Geography Field Trip 03 October 2023 Open Morning / Evening