Spring 2026

06 March – NEWSLETTER

EDITION 57

Welcome

Dear Parents and Carers,

Last week we celebrated National Careers Week at Highbury Fields. I hope your child ended the week feeling inspired to explore future career pathways and further education opportunities.

To mark the occasion, students participated in a range of trips and workshops, including employability skills sessions delivered by Barclays Bank. We also hosted an in-house Careers Fair, welcoming 50 professionals to share their advice and expertise with our Year 10 and Year 12 students. This event plays an important role in raising aspirations and helping students make informed decisions about their next steps, and it was wonderful to hear such positive feedback from students.

You can read more about Careers Week activities below, along with our usual updates from across Highbury Fields.

Ms Douse
Enrichment & Careers Coordinator

National Careers Week

Highbury Fields Careers Fair

On Wednesday, Year 10 and 12 students enjoyed meeting industry professionals at our bespoke Highbury Fields Career Fair.

Careers Fair photo gallery

Over 50 professionals from 30 different organisations attended from a wide variety of sectors – from architecture and theatre to medicine and law. Students also heard from educational bodies, including Imperial College London and our very own Highbury Fields Sixth Form, inspiring them to consider their next steps after GCSEs and beyond.

One student said: “I really enjoyed the event. There were industries there that I had never heard of or thought about before. I also managed to speak with someone who does a job I am really interested in, about their journey into the role, and to ask if they have any work experience opportunities.”

We were pleased to hear from the visiting professionals that Year 10s were very engaged and asked some challenging questions such us “what motivates you at work?”

We would like to say a big thank you to all professionals who attended.

Barclays Life Skills workshops – Year 9

On Monday, Year 9 students took part in an employability workshop delivered by Barclays Bank. This workshop focused on helping students understand the connections between their current skills and the diverse range of career options available to them.

By engaging with industry professionals and participating in hands-on activities, Year 9 students are better equipped with the tools and confidence needed to make informed choices about their next steps.

Who Cares Wins – Year 12 & 13

Written by Alaa, Year 12

Our Health and Social Care class and Year 13 students went to The Oval for the ‘Who Cares Wins’ conference.

The day started with a motivational speaker who encouraged us to stay positive and confident about our futures. We then listened to people working in different healthcare roles who spoke honestly about their experiences and what the jobs are really like. One speaker shared how he created over 20 healthcare services, which was inspiring to hear.

The event ended with a demonstration of a healthcare robot, showing how technology can support people in care. Overall, the trip was enjoyable, inspiring, and gave us a better understanding of careers in healthcare.

Looking to learn more about National Careers Week?

You can find out more about how you can support your child’s ambitions in the guide below. The document shares ideas for students’ next steps on their educational journey to give them the best prospects for the future.

Read the Parents’ Guide to Careers

Student Spotlights

Student Leader Spotlight: Meet Iman

In our second instalment of spotlighting the wonderful students here at Highbury Fields, we’re introducing Year 8 Student Leader, Iman!

What is a hobby or interest you enjoy outside of the classroom?
In my free time I enjoy writing short scenes and narratives. It helps me relax and see situations from different perspectives. I think exploring characters’ emotions and reactions helps my understanding of people, my imagination, and improves my focus. I also like experimenting with how characters respond to different settings and interactions.

What do you hope to achieve as a Student Leader at Highbury Fields?
As a Student Leader, I want to help make school feel more inclusive for everyone. I hope my classmates feel heard. By paying attention to feedback and helping with events, I want to build a stronger sense of community across the school.

What does leadership mean to you?
For me, leadership is about paying attention to what people need and turning their ideas into real change. It’s less about telling people what to do and more about making sure everyone feels included, listened to and supported.

Trips and Enrichment Activities

Year 7 Tolmers Trip

On Wednesday 25 February, the whole of Year 7 headed to Tolmers Activity Centre for a gloriously sunny day of outdoor challenges and adventure!

Each group took part in varied activities including rock climbing, pedal karting, den building and so much more. Some students faced their fears of heights, while others discovered new talents in archery.

Teachers on the trip were impressed by the teamwork students’ displayed in building a bridge from planks of wood, travelling a ball along gutter pipes, and “diffusing” dynamite in the ground. These team challenges fostered communication, patience and perseverance in each group.

Tolmers trip photo gallery

Year 7 Netball Team Off to a Flying Start!

Our Year 7 netball team delivered an outstanding performance in their recent fixtures, securing two victories against Highbury Grove School and St Mary Magdalene Academy.

From the first whistle to the final play, the team demonstrated exceptional skill, teamwork, and determination. Their sharp passing, strong defensive work, and accurate shooting proved how brilliantly every player contributed.

Thanks to these impressive wins, the team currently sits proudly in 1st place in the table! With two more upcoming fixtures, the excitement is far from over.

We are incredibly proud of their hard work and commitment, and we can’t wait to see them continue their success. Good luck in your next matches Year 7, we are all cheering you on!

uPCOMING Trips

sign up on Arbor Today so you don’t miss out

Parent volunteers needed

There are many trips coming up for which we are seeking parent volunteers. If you are willing to chaperone students on any of the following trips, please email rdouse@highburyfields.islington.sch.uk or call the school. The approximate time commitment is also included below:

Year 7 Barbican trip: 11 March (8:30am – 12:35pm)
Year 8 Natural History Museum: 26 March (10am – 3:15pm)
Year 8 Hamilton trip: 16 & 23 April (1pm – 6pm)
Year 10 Neals Yard Dairy trip: 19th May (9am – 1:30pm)
Year 10 Imperial War Museum: 26 June (8:30am – 3:30pm)
Year 10 Noughts & Crosses Drama trip: 13 May (11am – 4:30pm)

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.

Our Parent Community

School uniform Notices

We would like to remind parents to ensure all items of clothing and personal belongings are labelled with your child’s name.

There is currently an incredible amount of lost property outside the Atrium waiting to be claimed. All items that are not claimed by Friday 13th March will be given to charity or used as spares if they are not named.

Second-hand Uniform

If parents wish to donate any uniform that your daughter has grown out of, please bring this to the school reception. Please note: we can only accept donations of the new school uniform and it must be in good condition.

Alternatively, if you wish to sell used uniforms, you can do so for free on the Uniformerly site. Please make it clear if you are selling the new or the old style uniform.

Sell your used uniform

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.

Parent Guide on Teen Sleep

changes to the SEND system

Changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have been announced, as part of the schools white paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving.

Around 1.7 million children in England have SEND – which is roughly one in five children in schools across the country.

The new changes proposed in the white paper aim to ensure every child, including those with SEND, is getting the right support that they need and deserve.

How you can support your child to manage exam stress

Join Kooth for a free 45 minute webinar on supporting your child with exam stress. You will hear from a member of the Kooth community engagement team, alongside a clinician.

They will offer expert tips on:

When to take action
Practical ideas to help children manage their anxiety
How Kooth can provide extra support.

Join the webinar on Monday 9 March at 6pm

Join the webinar on Monday 16 March at 7pm

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ HFS Rewards ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Attendance

Here are top performing forms for attendance in the week before half term:

Top Forms for Attendance
Year 7: 7/Winona LaDuke – 98.48%
Year 8: 8/Serena Williams – 99.23%
Year 9: 9/Helen Keller – 98.64%
Year 10: 10/Mae Jemison – 99.54%
Year 11: 11/Margot Fonteyn – 98.76%
Sixth Form: 12/Berta Cáceres – 96.88%

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
.

Year 9: Sumaya and Amelia
Year 11: Zaynab, India, Izzah, Yasmine, Brody, Ava, Ayla, Faizah, Melda, Ilona, Fadumo. Megan, Daliah, Radwa, Millie, Isabelle and Laila..

60 Merits
Head of Year Merit

Year 9: Aya, Cemile
Year 10: Ellie
Year 11: Amelie, Yasmine, Trinity, Ava, Elifnaz, Florence and Zahra.

.

120 Merits
Headteacher Merit

Year 8: Maha
Year 10: Saeedah.

.

240 Merits
Board of Governors Merit

Year 11: Jasmin.

.

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 last week:

Year 7
7/Frida Kahlo – Taaibah.

Year 8
8/Jane Goodall – Samiya
8/Marie Curie – Aisha A
8/Nawal El-Saadawi – Violet
8/Serena Williams – Aisha L.

Year 9
9/Barbara Hepworth – Sophia
9/Helen Keller – Amelia-Rose and Asha-Rose
9/Katherine Johnson – Sanaa and Myah
9/Maya Angelou – Amira
9/Wangari Maathai – Sumaya.

Year 10
10/Angela Carter – Sabiha
10/Jacqueline Du Pré – Eden
10/Kadambini Ganguly – Asia
10/Nicola Adams – Alice
10/Sylvia Earle – Mia and Khadijah.

Year 11
11/Ada Lovelace – Rachel and Nazanin
11/Isatou Ceesay – Maisie.

Sixth Form
Year 12 – Keianna
Year 13 – Irtija.