The Heritage community shares in the great sadness felt at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We look back in gratitude at her years of exceptional service, strength of character and her Christian faith. We paid our respects to the Queen with a moment of silence at noon today and will remember her life during our assemblies next week.
We are delighted to announce our pupils’ excellent exam results for this year, with 73% of all grades at 9 or 8. Headmaster Jason Fletcher says:
‘Today, we are celebrating the excellent exam results achieved by our outgoing Year 11 pupils, with our highest ever proportion of exam entries – 73% – being awarded 9 or 8. This is higher than last year when exams were centre-assessed, and almost double the percentage of top grades awarded in 2019, the last time pupils sat normal exams. We are delighted too by numerous outstanding personal achievements, where grades awarded exceeded expectations.
Our outgoing Year 11 pupils have done exceptionally well, and all the more so in view of the severe disruption to learning that they have experienced over the past two and a half years. We are very proud of them and their resilience amidst challenging circumstances. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to support our pupils throughout the pandemic and to ensure their steady progress through the curriculum. That our proportion of top grades is higher than ever is a testimony to their dedication and professionalism.
Amidst a national picture of falling GCSE results, ours went in the opposite direction. Our best ever results demonstrate once again that our small class sizes, personalised attention and positive learning culture adds significant value. Heritage is a school that helps pupils achieve more than they otherwise would have done. Congratulations to our outgoing Year 11 pupils! We wish them all the best for their next chapter.’
A summary of our 2022 results can be found at www.heritageschool.org.uk/
A Message from Mr Jason Fletcher, Headmaster
School camps are a defining feature of Heritage and, for many of our pupils, are among the most cherished memories from their time here. There is something magical about sitting around a campfire or sleeping out under canvas in some of the most beautiful places in the country. Camps are an annual fixture for all of our pupils from Year 4 to Year 10. At camp, there is a unique opportunity for us to get to know each other better in a fresh and fun context, which makes a huge contribution to the quality of relationships in the community. As pupils encounter new challenges they also grow in confidence, and this carries over into other areas of life.
But, perhaps most importantly, all of this happens in the great outdoors. Much has been written in recent years about how young people are losing touch with nature, and as a result are missing out on the wonder, joy, refreshment, and insight that it – and real-world adventures – offers us.
As Charlotte Mason observed, children who have ‘a love of Nature… will enrich their lives with pure interests, absorbing pursuits, health, and good humour.’ It is our hope that our camps will help to spark in our pupils a lifelong passion for the outdoors, and also that they will initiate a relationship with special parts of this remarkable island. I like to imagine pupils going back as adults to some of the places we have visited for recreation and inspiration, no matter what their future path.
We depend upon, and are grateful for, the staff and parent volunteers who help make our Junior and Senior Camps possible. Also, special thanks is due to our Educational Visits Coordinator, Meg Lowe, whose support is so significant to the smooth and safe operation of all of our school trips. If you are interested in becoming involved next year, please watch out for requests for parent volunteers!
Year 4 Camp
In Year 4, pupils are introduced to school camps with a local one night away. This year, the class spent a beautiful June evening camping out at Abington Woods Campsite. The experience gave them an opportunity to work as a team, pitch a tent, and eat and sleep out of doors. During the day, they enjoyed a variety of activities with their classmates and teachers — including orienteering, firefighting and a scavenger hunt. Later, they sat out around the campfire; the perfect way to end the day, made even more enjoyable with the obligatory roasting of marshmallows. The aim is to have lots of fun and to help prepare the pupils for the outdoor programme in later years; and this year’s experience accomplished exactly that. Thanks to Mrs Bracegirdle, Mr Buchanan, Mrs Eldridge, Mr and Mrs Fletcher, Mr Seth Fletcher, and Mrs Watkins for helping to make the Year 4 camp so memorable.
View more photos of Year 4 Camp
Year 5 and 6 Camp
During the last week of the school term, Years 5 and 6 joined together for a three-night camp in Norfolk. During the days the campers enjoyed some excellent sailing, geocaching, a coastal hike, a river walk, and a visit to Horsey Beach to see some seals. They also explored the wildlife and habitats of the Norfolk Broads (including pond dipping and an invertebrate survey), and paid a visit to the nature reserve and St Benet’s Abbey. In the evenings, there was plenty of free time for the nightly wide games, eating al fresco meals prepared by Mrs Bruins, and just spending time outside together. The camp was possible as always thanks to the tireless efforts of our staff and volunteers: Mr Bayley, Mrs Bracegirdle, Mrs Bruins, Mr Buchanan, Mrs Eldridge, Mr Fletcher, Mrs Parkinson, Mr Pitcher, and Miss Rogers. More photos will be posted on our website photo galleries during the summer holidays.
This week the Senior School Student Council held a traditional non-uniform day fundraiser to benefit Hoveraid (uk.hoveraid.org), a charity that uses hovercraft to bring aid to remote places with no easy access to medical care or clean water. To raise some additional funds, the council members prepared cheese toasties for their fellow pupils to be enjoyed at break for a 50p donation. The Seniors thoroughly enjoyed their toasties and the fundraiser yielded £142.11. Overseeing it all was Dr Martin, who has run the Senior Council for many years. His guidance will be greatly missed when he retires at the end of this term. Big thanks to Year 7 pupil Charlotte, who photographed the event.
