Summer 2025
27 June – NEWSLETTER
EDITION 31
Head’s Welcome
Dear Parents and Carers,
I’m pleased to announce that our new parent portal is now live. We hope this new system will streamline our communications with parents and carers, saving time and effort for both you and members of staff.
This week has certainly been a busy time for our Sixth Form as Year 12s have enjoyed a dedicated Progression Week, with workshops, trips, and experiences designed to develop their employability skills and support their university applications next year. Please enjoy reading more about our busy week below.
Tim Fox
Headteacher
new parent portal now live!
Parents and guardians can now log into our new parent portal – your one-stop shop for all information and communications regarding your daughter.
Last summer, Highbury Fields moved its management information system to a new provider called Arbor, allowing us to manage everything that relates to students in one place. This includes all personal data from parental contacts and medical information to student assessments, attendance, timetables, reports, and so on. Now that Arbor is embedded in our everyday school routine, we are rolling out the platform to parents to facilitate your contact with the school and enable you to access your daughter’s academic progress and attendance at the tap of a button.
For more information on how to set up the Arbor app, please read the instructions below:
SIXTH FORM SUCCESS
Leavers’ Celebrations
On Friday, Year 13 students gathered for the last time at the Sixth Form Centre for a celebration afternoon to mark the end of their journey at Highbury Fields School.
Students reminisced their time here, looking back on photos of school trips, sports days and wild World Book Day costumes. You can find all the photos from the Leavers’ Assembly and BBQ in the gallery below.
This week, Year 13s also headed to Brighton for their Leavers’ Trip. The warm sun and sea made for a beautiful final goodbye for the students before they go their separate ways following results day in August.
Yusra said: “we had a great time at the pier, being by the sea has been a great contrast from the exams.” Aksheya reflected on having a great day out with her best friends. Jihan particularly loved the fish and chips and trip to Wittards for hot chocolate!
A message from Ms Tobia, the Director of Sixth Form:
“It has been our privilege to get to know you over the last few years. We’ve seen you flourish into confident young women and know that you deserve every success in your next steps to university or onward education. You’ve worked so hard and have persevered through your exams, but now is your time to rest, have fun and enjoy the sunshine!”
year 12 Induction Day
We were delighted to welcome both our internal students and Year 11s from other local schools to our recent Year 12 Induction Day.
The event gave students a valuable opportunity to experience taster lessons, explore subject options, and get a feel for life in our Sixth Form. They also had the chance to meet the Sixth Form Team, ask questions, and connect with classmates they’ll be working alongside in September. The day was a great success, filled with enthusiasm and curiosity, and we look forward to to enrolling these students on GCSE results day in August.
Talk the Talk Workshop
Year 12 students recently took part in an engaging Talk the Talk workshop, designed to enhance their public speaking and interview skills.
The full-day session focused on building self-confidence, effective communication, and preparing students for life beyond school. Through practical activities and supportive coaching, students learned how to express themselves clearly, speak with purpose, and present their own employability skills. The workshop was a valuable experience that left students feeling more prepared for upcoming interviews, particularly with UCAS applications around the corner. A big thank you to Adam from the Talk the Talk team for this inspiring and empowering session!
Trips and Enrichment Activities
Year 12 University of Bath Trip
Our Year 12 students recently enjoyed an inspiring trip to the University of Bath, offering a valuable glimpse into university life.
The day included a campus tour, informative talks on choosing courses and applying to university, and the chance to speak with current students about their experiences. From exploring lecture halls to learning about student support and accommodation, the visit helped demystify higher education and sparked excitement about future possibilities. The trip was a fantastic opportunity for students to start thinking about their next steps.
DofE Young Leaders
The DofE Young Leaders Programme is a fantastic opportunity for young people to take on leadership roles, guiding and mentoring DofE participants.
Taleah and Rebecca in Year 10 have been selected as our Young Leaders and will work alongside Ms Van Staeyen to help fellow students achieve their Bronze Awards. Taleah and Rebecca will undertake online training from DofE to refine their leadership skills and become positive role models and mentors for the new Year 9 Bronze students.
A Midsummer Review
– Erin and Alice, Year 7
On Thursday last week, the entirety of Year 7 took a trip on the tube to the Bridge Theatre, next to Tower Bridge itself and placed conveniently on the river.
The theatre was designed like a traditional Shakespearean theatre, with a stalls and seated area, and a pit in the centre. The stage in the pit was on platforms and could be controlled to rise and lower, making the entire experience feel more ethereal and unpredictable. The most confusing bit for a viewer who had not been briefed about the escapades of the performance was that the stage moved around, forcing viewers to move around with the actors. The actors embodied the characters perfectly. We truly believed Hermia was a fierce young woman, fighting for her right to marry for love, and Helena a tossed-aside girl desperate for love.
In the seats, it was a whole other perspective. It still felt interactive and interesting but in a different way, within the way the actors spoke and moved rather than moving to become an essence of the play. It didn’t seem to ever get boring, but it seemed rather far away, which I suppose it was. It felt like everything was happening so quickly, in a good way, because it felt lively and up-to-tempo. The actors knew how to do their jobs well and the acrobats did some crazy tricks on the aerial silks which made our jaws drop.
Down watching the play from the pit, it was wonderful too. the actors involved us in their mischief and it was perfectly cheeky and realistic. At one point, the Mechanicals took an audience member’s phone to look at the date and moon phases, with added comedy when they kept asking the person to unlock it. They also even took a selfie together which I expect would be a lovely memory to come across in later years. The acrobats were also extremely friendly, smiling at everyone who came past and doing special tricks when people waved at them.
Overall, the play was an ethereal and magical experience for all who came to view it, and we are grateful for the opportunity.
Other news from around the school
Save the Date: community culture celebration evening
Tickets are now on sale for our Community Culture Celebration evening! This special evening of arts, culture and heritage is taking place on Monday 7th July, we welcome all parents and students to attend.
Please reserve your tickets on SchoolGateway.
- Adult ticket – £3 per person
- Child ticket – £2 per person
We hope you will join us for an inspiring celebration of our diverse community.
Islington Youth Safety Strategy
As a reminder, the council is currently working on the Islington Youth Safety Strategy for 2025-2030 to ensure the borough is safer for all residents, especially children. Opinions and experiences will help shape Islington’s Youth Safety Strategy for the next 5 years and the lived experience and opinions of pupils in your schools will be instrumental in shaping this important strategy over the coming months. The council would like the views of students in Islington schools aged 13 and over, so that they can develop a meaningful strategy to make Islington a safer and more equal borough.
If your daughter would like to complete the survey, please follow the link below:
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ HFS REWARDS ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
We continue to be impressed and very proud of students achieving merit awards and showing their commitment to learning through their high attendance.
This week, we’re sharing the top performing forms for their attendance:
Top Forms for Attendance
1. 7/Margaret Atwood – 96.67%
2. 7/Marie Curie – 96.10%
3. 10/Margot Fonteyn – 95.93%
As part of our ongoing rewards system, students receive recognition – from their Form Tutor to the Board of Governors – for each merit milestone:
30 Merits – Form Tutor Merit
Year 10: Feriel.
60 Merits – Head of Year Merit
Year 9: Millie.
Year 10: Talya, Taleah, and Jamila
120 Merits – Headteacher Merit
Year 9: Afia.
240 Merits – Board of Governors Merit
Year 7: Leen, Evie, Eleanor, and Hanna
Year 8: Bella
Year 9: Shadia.
500 Merits – Commitment to Learning Award
Year 7: Darcey, Hafsah, and Kristina.
Congratulations to all students who have reached a merit milestone this week!
Events TO LOOK FORWARD to
Year 12 Geography Trip to Seaford
30 June – 1 July
Year 7 PGL
4 – 6 July
Community Culture Celebration Evening
7 July
Year 10 Walton-on-the-Naze Geography Trip
8 July
Sixth Form Showcase & BBQ for Year 10
8 July
Sixth Form Taster Day For Year 10
9 July
LATEST GALLERY
