Highsted Remembers: 2023
On Armistice Day, 12 November, the head girl team participated in a community event which is always charged with special meaning, but which this year had added resonance. Armistice Day commemorates not just those men and women who have fallen in conflict since the First World War, but gives us opportunity to recommit to the values which those individuals gave up their lives to preserve: justice, peace and freedom.
This year was additionally significant for the Sittingbourne community because the town’s Avenue of Remembrance is marking its hundredth anniversary. The road, originally planted with 181 trees, each of which bears a plaque remembering a fallen inhabitant of the town, had 98 further names added to trees in Central Avenue after 1945, and was always intended as a ‘living memorial.’ It is now believed to be the only thoroughfare of its type within the United Kingdom.
A living memorial certainly it was on 12 November, when a parade led by several vintage military vehicles made its way along the Avenue of Remembrance following a service at St Michael’s Church. The head girl team joined Sittingbourne residents to be tree sentinels as the parade passed, each tree with its guard or guards of honour.
An outdoor service followed at the War Memorial in Central Avenue including the Last Post and the release of 25 white doves (representing 25 local parishes) – a reminder of the search for peace. The event was fulsomely attended by Sittingbourne people, and it was especially good to see just how rooted members of our school community are within the broader local community: participating or parading in various contexts, such as the Girl Guides, Scouts and Cadets, were numerous students past and present, together with a staff member.
A Letter from Rebecca
27 January 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Five years earlier on Wednesday 15 April 2020 our school marked 75 years since British troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp of Bergen Belsen, Germany. To ensure that we never forget these anniversaries and remind us all of the horrors of those places, the Highsted Community reflected upon a letter from Rebecca of the Holocaust Educational Trust. To read her message in full, please follow this link.
Highsted Travels Back in Time: Year 5 Activity Day
On Saturday 18 June Highsted hosted its annual Taster Saturday event, this year themed ‘Highsted Travel Back in Time.’ 125 pupils from across 34 local primary schools in Swale participated in a variety of interactive workshops, selected from The Dawn of Time, Wenlock Games, Tea for Two, Smugglers Cove and Roman Numerals.
Student leaders from Year 10 and 12 supported the primary school pupils to contruct Japanese Tea pots, become scientists creating slides to view under microscopes and for those who love to dance pupils practised the different types of dance through the decades. All students had the opportunity to come close and handle a variety of tortoise species from around the world to demonstrate Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Student Leaders: Tilly M, Sally B & Harriet C.
Everyone agreed that this was a fantastic day! Thank you to all who contibuted.
Pupils reflected on what they enjoyed about the day:
“Getting to know the school and sharing my experience with friends.”
“The fun activities and learning new skills.”
“I liked to talk to new people and I loved all lessons. Everyone was really nice and friendly!”
“I enjoyed the Art and learning about Japanese culture and I loved the History and the animals.”
Photo opportunity: the life-sized Tardis! Attention to Detail workshop: Microscopes
Tea for Two workshop: Japanese teapots. Jump of Board: Charles Darwin’s finches experiment
Something Wicked This Way Comes: Shakespeare Day
On Tuesday 28 June, Highsted held its second ‘Shakespeare Day’ inviting local primary school children to come and attend a series of English and Drama workshops based around Macbeth – Shakespeare’s famous Scottish play about a noble man and woman who seize the throne and are then wracked with guilt following their actions. The schools attending this event were: Elliot Park Primary School, Holywell Primary School, St Peter’s Catholic Primary School and Rose Street Primary School – 30 pupils attending in total.
The pupils started the day looking at the story of the play and imagining what it would be like to meet a group of witches who told you information about your future. Later, pupils had to imagine how they would direct the first scene of the play to create atmosphere through costume, setting, sound effects and use of props. The final sessions of the day involved them exploring Act 4, Scene 1 where Macbeth returns to the witches and they show him three spirits. Pupils had to work in groups to perform this scene and consider how their voice, body language and gestures could show either the supernatural figure of a witch or the powerful frame of Macbeth, the king. The day ended with a final performance where teams from each school acted out their version of this famous scene to a student and teacher audience.
The day was a great success and all involved had a fantastic time.
Mathletics at Highsted
On Wednesday 8 June, 65 children from six different primary schools came to Highsted for Year 5 Mathletics. The pupils arranged themselves into teams of five and competed in four different activities using their mathematical knowledge, problem solving skills and team work. To download a report of this inter-school activity day, please follow this link to our STEM page.
Mad Science Saturday
Saturday 5 February saw Highsted Grammar School host its annual STEM activity, Mad Science Saturday. The event was a morning of fun-filled, engaging scientific experiments aimed at inspiring Year 5 girls and boys to be enthralled with Science! Nineteen primary schools from Swale were represented, taking advantage of this fantastic opportunity. To read about this event and other scientific activities at Highsted, please follow this link to our STEM page.
Highsted Takes to the Sky: Year 5 Activity Day
On Saturday 4 September Highsted hosted its annual Year 5 taster event, this year themed as Highsted Takes to the Sky. In all, 114 pupils from across 30 local primary schools participated in a variety of exciting workshops across many curriculum areas, including: Drama with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; and Science – discovering the world of moths; to many more activities encompassing Art, Psychology, History, Mathematics, Design & Technology, Geography and Sport. A fantastic day was enjoyed by all!
Participants enthusisiastically reflected upon their experiences:
“I enjoyed every second of this magical experience. I hope I can attend this brilliant school. All the teachers are really kind hearted. I love all the subjects I’ve learnt about today.”
“I have enjoyed every part of today because I’ve learnt so many things in each of the classes.”
“… Maths! – it was really fun and a brilliant start to the day. The teachers all took on board everything we had to say, they tried to listen to everyone.”
“I have enjoyed everything about this day. I loved it so much!”