Year 7 Visit the Tower of London

This term, Year 7 are learning about the Norman King William the Conqueror and how he gained control of England. Last week, the class visited the Tower of London, a grand castle whose first structures were built in 1066 to help William secure his position against the opposing Saxons. 

During their visit, the pupils learned about prisoners taken to the Tower during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. They heard the story of Jesuit priest John Gerard, who was held captive and tortured, and were able to see the cell in which he was imprisoned (complete with his graffiti marks). Gerard miraculously escaped the Tower and wrote an autobiography describing his ordeal. 

The class also were treated to some quality time with the Yeoman warders, who have been guarding the tower since Tudor times. Asking plenty of good questions, the pupils enjoyed a lengthy conversation with one warder in particular, who shared many amusing anecdotes.

Trips like these are not only fun and memorable, but help history lessons come to life in a new way.

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Pond Dipping

Upper Prep’s Trip to Wicken Fen

Last Friday, Upper Prep pupils put on their wellies and waterproofs and loaded into the minibus, ready for an exciting trip to Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. 

When they arrived, the pupils were greeted by National Trust staff members Andrew and Pam, who guided the afternoon’s activities. The class split into two, with one group following Pam to learn about different types of insects that might be found in the fen, what they eat and how many legs they have. Holding one another’s shoulders, the pupils imagined that they were a centipede capturing its ‘prey’ (in this case, the unfortunate Mrs Spriddell), and then donned some very funny-looking glasses to experience the world as a dragonfly with its compound eyes, hunting for other insects. The pupils ended the session by rolling over logs to find their own minibeasts, delighted to collect plenty of slugs, worms and spiders. 

Next the group joined Andrew, who directed the pond dipping activities. He first spoke to the children about the wide variety of creatures who live in the pond, showing them photographs of each to help them identify the various types of beetles, bugs, nymphs and more. He then showed the pupils how to dip their long nets into the pond and drag it back and forth to see what they could catch. They squealed with excitement as they scooped up some wriggling creatures (some of them surprisingly large!) and put them in the tray for observation. 

After the day’s activities the happy children climbed back into the minibus to head back to school and tell their families all about their marvellous visit.

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Hunting Minibeasts

Remembering Her Majesty the Queen

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.

Celebrating Our Outstanding Exam Results

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/information-for-parents/exam-results.

Sparking a Lifelong Passion for the Outdoors

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!