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Heritage School Flags Reach Bird Island with the British Antarctic Survey

Year 7 and Year 8 pupils from Heritage recently took part in the UK Polar Network’s Antarctic Flags Scheme, which invites children to design a flag for the Antarctic—an entire continent without its own flag. Among the many imaginative entries submitted, designs by Jess (Year 7) and George (Year 8) were selected to travel to Antarctica. Their flags have now arrived at Bird Island Research Station with Emma Edwards, Station Leader for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Ms Edwards kindly carried the flags to the station and sent back photographs of them displayed among Gentoo penguins, a curious sheathbill, and with LaRoche Peak rising in the background. These images give pupils a unique connection to one of the most remote and scientifically significant places on Earth. We warmly congratulate both winners and all entrants for their creativity and enthusiasm.

The Flags Scheme was created to mark Antarctica Day, observed each year on 1 December to commemorate the 1959 Antarctic Treaty—a landmark agreement that designated the continent as a place dedicated to peace and scientific discovery.

Bird Island—located off the north-west tip of South Georgia at around 54° south—is one of the world’s most extraordinary wildlife sites. Home to vast populations of penguins, fur seals, albatrosses, petrels, and prions, it provides an ideal setting for long-term ecological research led by BAS staff. The island’s rat-free status allows vulnerable burrowing bird species to thrive, and strict biosecurity measures help protect its fragile ecosystem. Life on station requires teamwork, shared responsibility, and resilience in all conditions.

This project has offered Heritage pupils a rare opportunity not only to show off their artistic talent but also to join an international educational partnership that connects classrooms with the polar regions.

Year 8 pupils performing The Tempest on stage

Year 8 Perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest

On the 13th of November Year 8 put on a dazzling production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Full of music, mystery and mayhem the class made this classic comedy their own. Over the previous weeks the students had created set designs, costumes and props as well as working hard to learn reams of Shakespearean poetry and prose. The result of their enthusiasm and creativity was a powerful and utterly unique performance – even down to the skateboards and colour co-ordinated Pringles of the goddesses!

The play is set on an island between Italy and Africa and the plot is Shakespeare’s own – a marooned enchanter and his daughter coming face to face with the enemies who have placed them there. Coming out at the same time as the King James Bible, the play shares some of it’s central themes. Despite themes of rule and unscrupulous betrayal it is a play full of hope rather than a revenge tragedy. The generosity and forgiveness displayed by Prospero, a god-man who can control the wind and the waves, leads to glorious redemption and reconciliation as the central characters sail off to a happy future.

Year 8 had been studying the text in literature lessons, and came to rehearsals full of ideas and insights which played into their production. The professionalism they showed learning lines and thinking through costumes was marked. There were some truly outstanding individual performances, as well as songs and scenes where actors worked wonderfully well in partnerships and as an ensemble. It was a triumphant final class production – well done Year 8!

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Heritage Cross Country Teams Compete in English Schools Cup

The first round of the English Schools Cup cross country took place at The Perse’s Abington playing grounds in October. This team competition, which involves six runners per team with the top four finishers counting towards the school score, featured schools from Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The top three teams would qualify for the regional round.

Heritage teams performed exceptionally well. The Junior Boys (Year 7 and 8) finished 3rd, ahead of Kimbolton, St Faith’s, Kings Ely, and Stephen Perse, securing a place in the regionals. A special highlight was that half of Year 8 represented the school!

In the Junior Girls race, Anna M. took first place individually, although the team finished 5th.

The Inter Boys (Year 9 and 10) faced a tough field but managed a respectable 7th place, while the Inter Girls finished 2nd, qualifying for the regional round and narrowly beaten by only 10 points by Kings Ely.

The Regional Round, held after half term at Cokethorpe School in Witney, brought together the top three teams from six counties. The Junior Boys finished 12th, an impressive feat considering the competition included schools with over 300 boys in Years 7 and 8. Wilfrid (Y8). was the top finisher for Heritage.

The Inter Girls also excelled, finishing 10th against some of the region’s most prestigious girls’ schools, with Kitty (Y10) leading the Heritage runners.

A special mention goes to alumnus Sandy, a 2025 Leaver now representing The Perse, who played a key role in helping his team reach the National Finals.

Heritage’s strong performances across all age groups are a testament to the determination, talent, and teamwork of our runners — a brilliant start to the cross country season.

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Heritage Team Prize Winners in a National Fungi Competition

Congratulations to the Heritage team who were one of five prize winners in a national fungi competition!

Our Head of Science, Mrs Carter, encouraged pupils across the school to submit a piece of work to the British Mycological Society’s Fungi Connect competition.

There were a range of entries, all on the topic of the ‘Kingdom Fungi’, which included:

creative writing – fungus-inspired poetry;
scientific writing – sharing knowledge about fungi and their role in the world;
artwork – depictions of fungi, through paint, pencil and even cake(!);
photography – many stunning photos from pupils who went out and about to see what they could discover;
history – an account of the uses of fungi after WWII.

For their prize, the team won a mushroom growing kit and a £25 book voucher for books relating to mycology!

Please take a look at their fantastic and imaginative entries by following this link: https://www.ukfungusday.co.uk/heritageschool.

Year 4 Class Assembly: The Gratitude Garden

On a rainy, dreary Monday morning, Year 4 reminded us of all the many things we have to be grateful for in their Class Assembly.

The Narrator set the scene – the Year 4 classroom, on a rainy Monday morning, with ‘sleepy, soggy, grumpy’ pupils. The teacher, Miss Willow, asks the class ‘What’s one thing you are grateful for today?’ only to be met with lots of groaning complaints instead – including sibling rivalries, wet socks and a bruised and dirty apple snack! Until one child pipes up with their gratitude for the rain which helps the flowers grow, and for a hedgehog waddling across the road which made them smile. Miss Willow reminds the class that ‘sometimes we forget how much we already have…’ and some twinkling bells send us into the next scene – set in ‘The Gratitude Garden’.

In The Gratitude Garden, a Willow Sprite greets the children and explains that they must complete three challenges before they can return home – one for nature, one for family and one for learning! For nature, in flutters a dancing, spinning leaf – the children notice how the leaf never stays the same for two days in a row and how the trees give us air to breathe and places for birds to sing. The leaf tells the children that they have passed their first challenge, by noticing the beauty that surrounds us. More twinkling bells and for the next scene a pebble sits in the middle of the floor. One of the children exclaims as they trip over the pebble and the pebble reminds them that he has held together the path they are walking on for many years. The children reflect that it’s a little like our parents – they help us quietly, even when we don’t say thank you – and they think of some of things they are grateful for about their parents. The leaf congratulates the children on passing the family challenge – remembering to be grateful for the people who are around us every day who love, help and support us. With another twinkle of the bells, the children enter the next scene, discovering a book laying on the ground. They look inside the book and find all kinds of ideas; as the children think about all of the things they love to learn – about plants, animals, history, art and music – they express their gratitude for the opportunity they have to go to school and learn. At this, the Willow Sprite returns and lets them know they have passed their final lesson – that learning is a gift – one they should use and be grateful for. The bells tinkle for a final time as the children are transported to the classroom and Miss Willow welcomes them back. They tell her that they have realised they do have lots of things to be grateful for after all, and every child holds up their own drawing of some things they are thankful for, as they each tell the assembly what some of those things are.

The Narrator finished the assembly by explaining that ‘gratitude grows when we notice, remember and say thank you. Notice the world around you. Remember all of the people who love and care for you and say thank you’. Year 4 closed their Class Assembly with a prayer, thanking God for nature, family and learning.

What fantastic reminders Year 4 and Mrs Young – a thoughtful and very well rehearsed assembly, which we were all grateful for at the start of a new week!