Year 5 Deliver Lots of Laughs with ‘Robin Hood and the Sherwood Hoodies’

Last week’s Year 5 musical production of ‘Robin Hood and the Sherwood Hoodies’ was a brilliantly funny version of the classic tale. As the villagers of Sherwood face threats from the Sheriff of Nottingham, Maid Marion decides to take matters into her own hands. When she hires Robin and his Merry Men, a group of performers she takes for freedom fighters, a tale of mistaken identities unfolds. 

Farcical characters and comic confusion kept the audience in stitches while catchy musical numbers and energetic dance routines added to the enjoyment of the evening. The pupils showed off impressive musical skill and comic timing during the performance, clearly relishing their time on stage. Brilliant direction by Mr Dalton, complemented by the musical talents of Mrs Zurcher and Mr Wright, and lighting provided by Miss Innes all contributed to the terrific production; a real demonstration of teamwork and the energy and talent of Year 5.

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Heritage Year 5 pupils put on a performance of 'Robin Hood and the Sherlock Hoodies'

Taking in History and Natural Beauty in the Bay of Naples

From the moment they landed in Italy for their residential trip to the Bay of Naples, pupils from Years 9-11 set off on an experience filled with cultural discovery.

The trip began with a visit to Herculaneum, whose remarkably preserved architecture, set against the majestic backdrop of Mount Vesuvius, gave the pupils a unique taste of ancient Rome. After unpacking and refreshing at the hotel, they headed down to the village for a delicious evening meal, energizing themselves for the day ahead.

The following morning, the group were greeted with sunny weather as they made their way to Mount Vesuvius for a hike that offered up stunning views of the Bay of Naples. Their adventure continued with a visit to the ancient site of Pompeii, where they walked in the footsteps of its former residents and gained insight into their way of life. 

The next day, it was off to the enchanting Isle of Capri, where crystal blue seas and geological wonders awaited. Despite a bumpy boat ride and a steep climb to Capri Town, the group enjoyed panoramic views and took in the natural beauty. The day ended with some shopping and gelato.

As their trip drew to a close, the pupils paid a visit to the ampitheatre of Pozzuoli, imagining the gladiators awaiting battle under the arena. As they boarded their flight back home, they carried with them not just souvenirs, but a wealth of experiences and memories. 

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Heritage Seniors travelled to the Bay of Naples.

Heritage Infants Collaborate to Produce Winning Stories

Demonstrating teamwork and creativity, our youngest classes recently created their own original tales as part of the ISA Young Storytellers Competition. Each of the Infant classes joined together with their classmates to create a time-travel themed story, with two of the classes emerging victorious in their respective categories.

‘The Wolf and His Time Travelling Adventure’ by Lower Prep: The tale of a curious wolf who discovers a time machine in a castle. Pressing buttons randomly, he finds himself amidst dinosaurs. After a narrow escape, he resets the machine and returns home just in time for tea with the King and Queen.

‘Adventures in the Time Machine’ by Year 2: Herbert and Rosie encounter a time machine in their kitchen, which sends them to ancient Britain. There, they meet Boadicea and join her in a battle against a group of Romans. Anticipating defeat, the trio escape to the present just in time.

Congratulations to Lower Prep and Year 2 for their well-earned triumphs, and well done to all of the children for their brilliant efforts; a reminder of the creative potential that resides within every young mind.

The winning stories can be found on the ISA website.

Year 11 Pupils Stand Out in British Physics Olympiad Challenge

In an impressive display of scientific acumen and determination, nine of our Year 11 physics pupils participated in this year’s British Physics Olympiad challenge, displaying their mastery of the subject. The results were nothing short of outstanding, with the group securing two Gold awards, one Silver award, five Bronze awards, and one commendation.

Such collective achievement is truly commendable, especially considering the rarity of Gold and Silver awards, even among top sets in larger and more selective schools. Special congratulations are in order for Isabella and Silas (who each earned a Gold award), and Scyld (who received a Silver award) for their exceptional performances.

The challenge, known for its notoriously difficult paper, emphasizes problem-solving over mere knowledge, ensuring fairness for students from diverse educational backgrounds. Most pupils cited the rapid calculations under extreme time pressure as the toughest aspect of the challenge.

Curious minds can put their own skills to the test by attempting the paper for themselves, armed with a calculator and one hour to spare.

Heritage Pupils Excel in Shakespeare Competition

During the Spring term, several pupils auditioned to participate in the ISA Shakespeare Monologue Competition; another example of the school’s commitment to Shakespearean excellence. Dr Andrew Zurcher, who adjudicated the Heritage auditions, praised the pupils for their brilliant understanding of complex texts, sensitivity to meter and voicing, and courageous theatrical choices. Selected to represent Heritage across different age groups were Charlotta (Y3), Hanna (Y6), Jane (Y6), Isabel (Y8), Honor (Y8), Kitty (Y8), Joshua (Y10), Maxim (Y10), and Toni (Y11).

Despite an unprecedented number of entries and an extremely high quality of the submissions, we are delighted that Honor and Isabel were both highly commended in the final results, with Isabel coming third in her category. Judge Charlotte Scott, from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, praised Honor’s ‘wonderful, impassioned and powerful Lady Macbeth’ and Isabel for ‘a powerful Caliban which makes a beautiful transition from his freedom to punishment and is carefully modulated through the mixed emotions of bitterness, affection and revenge.’

Ms Scott applauded each of the entries, saying that ‘The focus on the delivery of the spoken word, the children’s individual personalities in relation to those choices and the imaginative and inspiring ways in which they have reimagined or represented them has been a joy to watch. Every single entry had its own merit, and every single performance was delivered with energy, imagination, intent and skill. There are only very few awards I am able to make, but every school that takes part and delivers such exceptional teaching of Shakespeare is a credit to the arts and humanities.’