I was given an amazing opportunity for work experience at GSK.  Whilst there we learnt about the many career paths available at GSK for both graduates as well as apprenticeships for school leaver. We concentrated on the 'Molecule to Medicine' curriculum during the first week of Easter Break. We took part in a combination of live and recorded sessions throughout our virtual learning experience.

It was a fantastic experience in which we collaborated as a team and had a great time giving presentations about our novel pharmaceuticals at the conclusion of the week. We also completed energisers, which consisted of quizzes and activities related to the many modules we learned each day. It was a lot of fun, and it helped me gain a better knowledge of GSK's many departments and the pharmaceutical development process.

I am also very excited about the two days of face-to-face work experience that will take place in the last week of April.  It was simply fantastic!

Aisha Ali

Year 12

Breis told us his backstory and how he went from a well-paying job to becoming a professional rapper and teaching children ...and how he eventually got his mother's approval. 

Our first task was to complete rap lyrics beginning with ow e.g vow row plough. Our second task was to make our own verses on the topic 'Think Big' using rhyming couplets, 8-12 syllables long. 

At the end, we had to perform each of our verses to the whole group, and he gave us a sneak peek of the rap he was writing, and planning to release, on the topic 'Think Big' and we sang the chorus with him.

Arpan Kumar [9Y]

Since I started doing Yoga at school, with our professional Yoga instructor, I have found myself sleeping better, and I have been a lot less stressed. Brooke Clements [11P]

In my opinion it has been a big gift for me to join this class. If has been really helpful during my mock exams. It has kept my mind fresh and relaxed. Clint Carvahlo [11R]

All of Year 10 were invited to The Globe theatre on Tuesday 22^nd March to watch a live performance of Macbeth. It was an incredible opportunity for students to experience one of their GCSE texts prior to studying it. The performance, sponsored by Deutsche Bank, was a gripping 90-minute production created specifically for young people. It was an incredible introduction to Shakespeare.

Ensuring all students feel comfortable and part of our school community are the key aims of Heston Student Council.

Student opinions and voices are fed back in meetings with Senior Leaders so that everyone shares a vision of what we want our school to be. 

When Head Students and Student Reps were first recruited, we decided to conduct a survey with students about what changes they would like to see.

This led us to create a more positive environment by celebrating students who show the Hestonian Values of Respect, Ambition, Resilience, Honesty and Equality. Every two weeks, a student from each tutor group in Years 7-10 is nominated by their peers and staff as a Stand-out Student. Once the votes are collected, all of these nominees are celebrated by being entered into a draw for an Amazon gift card! Additionally, a handwritten certificate is also sent out to all nominees by myself and Maryam Hussian, our other Head Student. 

Student Reps now attend weekly meetings to discuss important issues and communicate directly with Learning Co-ordinators. This allows us to contribute ideas of how to continue to improve our School.  We plan to organise a massive Heston Friendship Survey in the Summer Term to gauge student expectations of friendship as Kindness is a value that we and Mr Berdesha intend to add to the School's Hestonian Values next year.

Lastly, to support student mental well-being, Sixth Form Senior Students have started the Confidentiality Clinic: this is a safe space where students can come to talk to other older students (members of the Senior Students Team) about academic or social concerns. We all know how much it helps for some people to just talk and get things of your chest to someone who understands – we’ve all been there. Behind the scenes, much more is being discussed and we will bring out more news to you soon.

Gurpreet Arora - Head Student [12G]

The Year 12 students were given the opportunity to work with Dale from My Great First Job for Super Learning Day.  This was a great opportunity as we talked about the skills needed to when applying for a job, apprenticeships and even universities.

We went through a range of activities where we were taught how to sell our skills and what employers are looking for us in order to hire us. We learnt that the work experience we are all trying to access now is practical to the career we want to pursue in the future, for example as I am a sales advisor, I was able to learn that the skills such as communication, honesty, organisation and listening has developed me as a person.  He also showed me how to sell my skills in my interviews and be seen as more employable.  It was interesting as he helped me to see how the skills I am currently developing links to my future career of pursuing law where I will have to be able to communicate with clients, remain positive and be a good listener.

In addition, we went over the types of questions that could be asked during interviews and questions to ask the interviewer. This has helped me to understand the way to present myself and enhancing my position as a candidate to be considered.

Anisha Nareydoo 

Year 12