Heston Community School feels extremely grateful to Nuffield Health this term. Every Monday after school, 3 or 4 Nuffield Health Personal Trainers come and work on fitness with some of our Year 9 and 11 students. 

Students take part in some individual fitness activities and some team-building competitions. 

They all feel invigorated by the sessions and have amazed themselves by adapting to new challenges. “It is exhausting, but definitely benefits the brain as well as the body, so I think it is helpful it in the run-up to the exams.” says Kilian V, Year 11

”I have really pushed myself”. His fellow Year 11 Caleb says, “They have given us a really good workout that includes strength, stamina and speed.” Logan M, Year 11

“It was difficult but fun.” Kiran G, Year 11and her friend Taran B, Year 11, says, “I feel de-stressed and ready to revise!”

Many of the Year 11s said they would now aim to try some of the exercises at home as part of their own self-care. 

Bettina Keki, one of the Personal Trainers, explains “We hope to also offer some sessions during half-term and the Summer, so students can maintain their fitness.” 

As a school, we want every student to benefit from taking part in Enrichment activities. Enrichment activities are any kind of club or experience like a trip which add value to a student’s school experience, skills, talents, knowledge or well-being. We look forward to continuing our link with Nuffield Health and hope to have news about holiday sessions soon so that students can really grow in confidence and strength.

Murder on the Nile

On Friday, 24 March the Year 11 GCSE Drama class went to see Murder on the Nile at The Questors Theatre in Ealing Broadway. It was an exciting production, full of suspense and intrigue. None of us guessed who the murderer was! It was great to see the staging and character development. Thank you to Miss Gould for organising this opportunity.

RE Super Learning Day  

My experience at the Laxmi Narayan Temple was really incredible. I learnt about all about Hindu faiths and beliefs, like karma and reincarnation. As we got there, we had to take our shoes off and enter the main prayer hall. There was one really important rule and that was not to face away from the 10 Gods [which were statues that they had breathed life into] that were located at the front of the prayer hall.  They wore bright, decorative clothes, which we were told, were handmade for them, and they wore them for three weeks and then got new outfits.

We had the chance to do a Q and A about Hindus and I learnt that they believe that if you die God will give you another life. Then, we stood up for a prayer called Arti. We also had to keep our hands together.  After this we received some holy food and drinks that had been blessed by the Gods. It was fascinating learning about another religion and their belief systems and how it influenced their day-to-day lives.

Takdeer Khurana [7G]

The trip to IBM was an enriching experience for T-level Management and Administration students in Year 12.  We got the opportunity to find out more about the work of IBM, one of the biggest technology companies in the UK, whilst also improving our employability skills. 

The aim of the day was to interview students for placements at IBM.  This was a valuable experience as it taught us interview skills, making us work ready.  We had learnt about the STAR method in previous work ready sessions, so this was a nice opportunity to apply what we had learnt.  We really benefited from being interviewed in the workplace, for some of us this was our first ever interview, so naturally it was both a daunting but insightful day.    

As part of the day we looked at some of the work carried out by IBM.  IBM is focusing on AI and has completed projects such as the unmanned boat.  A boat can be controlled by AI to explore the ocean, an easier, efficient and modern way to gather information about the ocean.  As part of our tour we saw a robot dog.  The dog is programmed to walk around the building and detect problems or issues in machines.  It is also used to make data gathering easier using thermal imaging, LiDAR or 3D scanning for tasks such as digital twin creation.  Seeing such advance technology opened our minds in regard to what technology can do and how it is used to help us in our everyday life.

Manveen Bedi [12C]

Meeting with Lord Haskel, was an informative, interesting experience, which introduced me to a glimpse of a life as a Lord, and what impact the House of Lords really has on our society. Whilst engaged in a presentation by Lord Haskel, we learnt about who the Lords are, what they do and the difference and similarities between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. We were educated on the history of the House of Lords, and how the current House of Lords impacts our society. I found it constructive, and intriguing how influential and significant the Lords are on the public and the Government. Lastly, Lord Haskel helpfully gave feedback on all our questions, from all topics, in detail, as well as delivering advice on how to pursue a role as a Lord. After this eye-opening experience, I agree with Lord Haskel that politics should have a more important aspect in young people’s education, and that we should encourage young people to seek involvement in politics.

Prem Ghatora [9R]

My experience with Lord Haskel's visit taught me a lot about politics. There was a lot more to it than I had expected. Lord Haskel was very descriptive with any questions that we asked and answered them thoroughly. He made a very valid point during the visit; he had mentioned children in politics. He had said that since a lot of politics are based around education, more children should be interested in this field, as they can speak for their fellow students. 

Overall, it was a delightful experience, and I am glad to have had the chance to be a part of it. 

Avneet Virdee [9B]

I am thrilled to report that, as Year 13 BTEC Level 3 Applied Science students, we recently had the chance to examine a fictitious murder scene. We were able to test our scientific knowledge in an exciting and instructive encounter. We all had a terrific time cooperating to solve the crime, from gathering evidence to having our individual CSI roles.

First, we wore our PPE which included wearing a coverall, then we cordoned off the crime scene and then took photographs and measurements. After this process, we gathered evidence with minimal cross-contamination to improve the integrity of the evidence so that the evidence can help highlight what happened during the crime. This evidence would also be strong in Court when trying to support an argument. 

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while studying the scene, and we learned vital skills that will help us in our future employment. All in all, it was a wonderful event that we will all cherish for a long time.

Blazhe Ivchev 13B and Palvin Fernandes 13B