Heston Newsletter Spring 2022

1 Upcoming Events 19 April 2022 Summer Term begins 19 April 2022 Y12 Mock Exams start 02 May 2022 Bank Holiday 09 May 2022 Public Exams start 12 May 2022 SEND Progress Evening 17 May 2022 Y12 Parents’ Evening 30 May—03 June 2022 Half-term 20 June 2022 Y10 Mock Exams, Y12 Resit 23 June 2022 Public Exams end 24 June 2022 Y13 Leavers BBQ 28 June 2022 Summer Concert 30 June 2022 UCAS Information evening 06 July 2022 Staff INSET day 07 July 2022 Sports Day 08 July 2022 Y11 Prom 15 July 2022 Super Learning Day 21 July 2022 Last day of Term [12:00] DEPUTY HEADTEACHER MESSAGE As we approach the end a very busy and productive Term at Heston Community School, I am delighted to introduce our Spring edition of The Heston Times. Written by our students, this publication is designed to keep you up to date with exciting events and developments in School, and celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of our students. Our extracurricular enrichment programme continues to offer exciting and varied opportunities, beyond the curriculum. Highlights this term include the continued success of our Under 14 Girls’ Basketball Team, beating The Heathland School 26-0 and Lampton School 28-0. The KS3 Chess Tournament and our Centre of the Deaf trip to Brentford Football Club. Our Year 11 and 10 students enjoyed a professional production of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ during the Spring ‘Super Learning Days’. KS3 students experienced a cultural treasure hunt through Central London, familiarising themselves with many famous landmarks. All academic research links a child’s engagement with extracurricular activities to improved self-esteem, mental wellbeing, employability skills and academic performance. I would ask that you strongly encourage your child to join one or more of our many clubs – Yoga, Boxercise, Karate, Henna, Debating, Duke of Edinburgh, Basketball, Choir or Guitar Ensemble – something to entice everyone. Students were given the opportunity to identify their strengths, interests and routes into careers during the National Careers Week. Our full-time Careers Advisor, subject specific careers curriculum, weekly Careers Newsletter, Careers Fair, focus on ‘Career of the Week’, CV writing workshops and Year 12 Work Experience opportunities, are all part of our comprehensive careers provision. We hope that guest speakers which included Lawyers, Medics, Optometrists, Architects, Statisticians and, this term, NASA Scientists and Bank of England Analysts have inspired and enthused our children. We are delighted with the popularity of our new Learning Resource Centre and believe the £15,000 spent on new books, guided by student recommendations, will ensure every child can find a book they will enjoy. The National Reading Competition, Science Week Spelling Bee, Oracy Only Day, the Heston Bookmark Competition, World Book Day celebrations and the promotion of student journalism in The Heston Times, as well as The Heston Voice, all nurture a love of reading and develop literacy skills to provide lifelong pleasure and support academic success. Looking forward, I am sure you will all join me in wishing our Year 11, Year 13 and Year 12 Vocational students every success as they prepare for a challenging term of revision and examinations. I have no doubt that they will show the resilience, dedication and tenacity I associate with Hestonian students. With the support of staff and families, all our students should be able to go to prestigious universities and return to our Sixth Form, with pride in their achievements. Beth Hart The Heston Times Spring 2022