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ISA Regionals Cross Country 2026 Report

On Friday 13th February, 45 pupils from Year 4 to Year 11 travelled to Littlegarth School, near Colchester, to compete in the regional ISA cross country event.

The first race of the day was the Year 4 girls’ event, where Amazing-Grace, Ruby and Annabelle proudly represented Heritage over the 1.8km course. They were followed by the Year 4 boys’ team of Arlo, Oscar, Rory and Ollie.

Next came the Year 5 and 6 races. In the girls’ event, Esther, Phoebe P, Ella, Wen-Tang, India and Isabella took to the course. Esther finished an impressive 14th, just outside the qualifying places, and the team placed 8th out of 22 schools overall. In the boys’ race, Peter, Charlie, Joshua, Jacob, Ezra and Oxley competed over 2.1km.

The senior races began with Year 7, where the boys and girls ran simultaneously. Norah and Sophia represented the girls, with Sophia achieving an excellent 9th place to qualify for the National Finals on 28th February. Norah finished strongly in 14th place. In the boys’ race, Joey and Quinn both secured top-25 finishes.

The Year 8 and 9 races followed, again with boys and girls running at the same time. Anna M continued her outstanding season by winning a bronze medal, while Sasha M-M finished 11th, earning the position of first reserve for the National Finals. Izi, Lydia, Ally and Kim all placed in the top 30, helping Heritage secure 3rd place out of 13 schools in their category. In the boys’ race over 3,100m, Wilfrid claimed 7th place to book his spot at Nationals. Quentin, Sam, David, Benji, George B and Nicolas contributed to an excellent team performance, finishing 2nd in their category.

The final race of the day was the combined Year 10 and 11 boys’ and girls’ event over 4.1km. Edward, Theophane and Matthew all achieved top-15 finishes. The girls made history for Heritage, with Caitlin, Izzy M, Kitty and Anna Br finishing 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th respectively, securing victory in the team competition for their category.

Well done to all who competed, and good luck to those who have qualified for the National Finals on 28th February at Himley Hall near Dudley.

International Day Brings Learning to Life

International Day proved once again to be a highlight of the school year at Heritage, as pupils across the school celebrated the cultures, traditions and creativity of different countries.

Each class in Infants and Juniors focussed on a different Nordic country, with children arriving dressed in the colours of their nation’s flag. Year 2 explored Denmark, Upper Prep studied Finland, Years 3 and 4 focussed on Norway, Year 5 learned about Iceland, and Lower Prep and Year 6 explored Sweden. Throughout the day, pupils took part in a variety of activities that helped them learn about each country’s cuisine, architecture, geography, traditions and way of life. From creative art projects to practical, hands-on experiences, the day provided many opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding in fun and memorable ways.

The day in Infants & Juniors concluded with a special assembly, where each class presented what they had learned, sharing their newly acquired knowledge with the rest of the school community.

In the Senior School, pupils started the day with a special assembly and enjoyed other activities in lessons and break times.

International Day continues to be a valuable opportunity for pupils to broaden their understanding of the world, celebrate different cultures, and learn in a fun and memorable way.

View our photo gallery to see highlights from the day:

Heritage Pupils Experience Shakespeare Live at the ADC Theatre

Last week, Heritage pupils in Years 6–10 enjoyed an exciting trip to the ADC Theatre in Cambridge to watch The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare. The performance was specially arranged for Heritage pupils during the school day and offered a wonderful opportunity to experience Shakespeare performed live on stage.

The lively and imaginative production, brought to Cambridge by the European Theatre Group, transformed Shakespeare’s classic farce into a fast-paced spectacle, complete with energetic costumes, comic misunderstandings, dramatic fight scenes and plenty of laughter. Set in the enchanting coastal town of Ephesus, the story follows two sets of twins separated in childhood, whose unexpected reunion leads to escalating confusion and chaos.

The pupils were exemplary throughout the performance, listening attentively and responding enthusiastically. Their excellent representation of the school made such a strong impression that the theatre has already offered to host exclusive daytime Shakespeare performances for Heritage pupils in the future.

Shakespeare plays a central role in the Heritage curriculum. From Years 6 to 8, pupils read and perform Shakespeare each year: Year 6 pupils are currently studying A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Year 7 have recently completed Romeo and Juliet and will soon begin Julius Caesar, and Year 8 performed The Tempest during the Autumn Term. Seeing a professional production helps pupils deepen their understanding of Shakespeare’s language, humour and dramatic structure, complementing the immersive approach taken in lessons.

The visit also allowed pupils to experience the historic ADC Theatre, the oldest university playhouse in the country and a vibrant centre of Cambridge’s theatre community.

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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