Spring 2026
27 February – NEWSLETTER
EDITION 56
HeadTeacher’s Welcome
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back! I hope you and your families had a restful half term break, and Ramadan Mubarak to all in our community who celebrate it.
In this week’s edition, we introduce a new section to our newsletter, where we showcase individual students’ achievements both inside and outside school.
Speaking of achievements, please can I congratulate parents and students for their efforts to ensure that students are in school and on time every day. This is not going unnoticed and we have recently been informed that our attendance is in the top 10% of schools in the country. We even have a certificate to prove it!
I hope you enjoy this week’s newletter.
Tim Fox
Headteacher
Student Spotlights
Student Leader Spotlight: Meet Wren
New to our weekly newsletter, we are spotlighting the wonderful students in our school community. Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing interviews with our Student Leaders; to kick things off, meet Year 7 Student Leader – Wren!
What do you enjoy doing outside of the classroom?
In my free time, I enjoy writing novels and channelling my inner creativity. I use the techniques I have learned in lesson and put them into my writing. After school, I have a lot of clubs including textiles club where we learn how to use sewing machines which I find fun seeing as I am crafty.
What do you hope to achieve as a Student Leader at Highbury Fields?
As a Year 7 student leader, I aim to make Highbury Fields the best it can possibly be and for students there to feel like they have a voice in achieving this. I believe that in our community it is important to let others take a stand and share their ideas while we listen.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me, leadership means to not only lead others into making changes YOU believe are important, but also respecting and considering ideas others have along the way.
Calling Councillor Claris: New Deputy Young Mayor
Highbury Fields’ very own Claris in Year 11 has been voted in as Deputy Young Mayor on the Islington Youth Council.
Over the coming term, YCllr Claris will be working alongside the elected Young Mayor, Zack Yahya, to focus on mental health and wellbeing, as well as sport and fitness services across the borough.
Following the council election over half term, Claris said she is looking forward to “helping others, being like a guide and supporting the youth in this journey”.
We are very proud to see Claris taking on a leadership role in the wider community – congratulations, Claris!
Trips and Enrichment Activities
Year 9 History trip to Belgium
Before the half term break, a group of Year 9 History students visited Ypres in Belgium to learn more about the First World War.
Students gained insight into what life was like during the war with a visit to the trenches. The trip also included a visit to Flanders Fields where students could see for themselves the sheer volume of fatalities on the Western Front. A million soldiers from over 50 different countries were wounded, missing or killed in action here.
A highlight of the trip was attending The Salute to the Fallen at Menin Gate Memorial. Every evening, buglers play The Last Post, the traditional final salute to a fallen soldier, in honour of the soldiers of the former British Empire and its allies, who died in Ypres during the First World War. Two students represented Highbury Fields by laying a poppy wreath.
Overall, the trip was incredibly poignant and impactful, and reminded students why this topic of the History curriculum is so significant; it is important to remember those who lost their lives fighting and to honour each individual story that was lost with them.
Breakfast club: Come rain or shine
Despite the recent downpours, Breakfast Club continues to brighten students’ mornings, offering a safe space for girls to eat, chat and play games.
“It is a space where everyone gets along, everyone has fun and we all love it. It’s our own little community within the Highbury Fields community.”
– From all at Highbury Fields Breakfast Club
Spring Term Trips
sign up on Arbor Today so you don’t miss out
We have some fantastic trips lined up after half term. Scroll through the carousel below to see what’s in store for each Key Stage.
Call for phones
The school is looking for donations of old mobile phones, in particular unwanted iPhones or other smart phones.
These will support our trips and enrichment programme, in particular trips abroad.
If you have any unwanted devices you would be happy to donate to the school, please bring them to the main site reception or Sixth Form reception during the school day. We ask that you ensure the phone has been returned to factory settings and is not locked with a password.
Other news from around the school
Apple of the eye
Year 7 students were asked to creatively ‘record an apple’ – and they did not disappoint!
From painting and drawing to clay-work and textiles, students took to the task and explored a variety of mediums and styles.
We have been blown away by the quality and out-the-box thinking displayed by many of these students. Please scroll through the designs to see just a few of the fantastically vibrant Year 7 creations.
Our Parent Community
National Careers Week 2026
Next week is National Careers Week. We have a plethora of workshops, activities and events planned throughout the week to give students guidance and inspiration for the careers they may like to pursue.
We will share news about these activities in next week’s newsletter, but until then, parents and learn more in the guide below:
Sleep Awareness Month
March marks Sleep Awareness Month, designed to raise awareness of practical solutions to sleep difficulties and empower families to get better rest and improve overall wellbeing.
For information and top tips on getting the most out of sleep, take a look at the below guide from the Teen Sleep Hub.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ HFS Rewards ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Attendance
Here are top performing forms for attendance in the week before half term:
Top Forms for Attendance
Year 7: 7/Frida Kahlo – 97.97%
Year 8: 8/Margaret Atwood – 100%
Year 9: 9/Helen Keller – 96.11%
Year 10: 10/Jacqueline Du Pré – 94.48%
Year 11: 11/Margot Fonteyn – 98.45%
Sixth Form: 12/Berta Cáceres – 97.09%
Merit Awards
Congratulation to all who received merit awards before half term. It’s fantastic to see more and more students achieving 120 merit awards and even 240 merits!
30 Merits
Form Tutor Merit
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Year 10: Sara
Year 11: Faizah and Zakia.
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60 Merits
Head of Year Merit
Year 8: Ritaj, Ivana, Brooklyn-May and Halima
Year 9: Fouzia, Lacey-Belle, Zara, Florence, Kaci, Amra and Sudi
Year 10: Kaamila and Alya
Year 11: Lily-Mai and Mamie Fatou.
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120 Merits
Headteacher Merit
Year 7: Khaira, Amélie, Taaibah, Yumna, Bilen and Feyza
Year 8: Tessa, Martha, Nada, Lily-Rose, Joycelyn, Matilda, Sabrin, Liyana, Bianca, Amelie, Lavin and Lyra
Year 10: Asia and Alya.
240 Merits
Board of Governors Merit
Year 7: Eimear and Amorè
Year 8: Daisy, Anna, Khadija and Violet.
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Students of the week
This academic year, we have introduced ‘Students of the Week’ to recognise individuals who have demonstrated excellent commitment to learning and the community. Here are the successful students from the week before the half term break:
Year 7
7/Chimamanda Adichie – Alice B, Bella, Alice L, Erin and Greta
7/Helen Sharman – Juwariah
7/Junko Tabei – Sumaiyah and Elanur
7/Frida Kahlo – Phoebe
7/Rosa Parks – Poppy
7/Winona LaDuke – Alisha and Sophia.
Year 8
8/Alicia Keys – Martha
8/Jane Goodall – Raya
8/Margaret Atwood – Seyma
8/Marie Curie – Natalia
8/Nawal El-Saadawi – Neveah
8/Serena Williams – Agustina.
Year 9
9/Barbara Hepworth – Nailah
9/Helen Keller – Fidella
9/Katherine Johnson – Shaiyarna
9/Maya Angelou – Yasmin, Naima, Rana and Fozia
9/Wangari Maathai – Letty.
Year 10
10/Kadambini Ganguly – Keira
10/Nicola Adams – Zuleka
10/Mae Jemison – Sadie and Alys.
Year 11
11/Andrea Levy – Ela.
Dates for your Diary
National Careers Week
2 – 7 March
Year 9 – Romeo & Juliet Trip
3, 5, 6, 10 March
Year 10 – Meet the Professionals
4 march
International Women’s Day
8 March
Year 7 – Barbican COncert
11 March
Year 8 – Natural History Museum Trip
26 March
LATEST GALLERY
