2014

On Monday 15th December, we saw the much anticipated Christmas Recital take place in the Auditorium. With an eclectic programme including pieces from the classical period, through jazz and right up to some soul/funk Christmas classics, the students really excelled themselves in their performance.

The evening got underway with a raucous drum ensemble which really got the adrenalin flowing in the auditorium. This was followed by Jake Lawless of Year 8 playing the Hammerstein and Rogers classic,’My Favourite Things’. Next on the bill was a beautiful guitar duet ‘Cueca’- a traditional Bolivian piece, played by Thomas Ly and Todd Godderidge (Year 11).

The evening continued with three solo performances from Darlene Benner (Year 11), Tila Lawton (Year 9) and Ulysses Prieto (Year 8) on the violin, piano and clarinet respectively. Ben Jones in Year 11, performed his own composition of ‘Foreign Correspondent’ and gave the hall a smashing example of the quality and originality of composition from our GCSE Music group. He was followed by David Ivanovas (Year 11) who performed his Grade 4 solo piano piece to an exceptional standard.

It was left to Tate Apcher (Year 8) to finish the soloist section with pieces by Scarlatti and Gretchaninov, which he did with great aplomb. The concert then moved on to the Heartlands Guitar ensemble which played three pieces, finishing with Whitworth’s sweetly Latin-flavoured ‘Across the Andes’. Our first taste of Christmas came with the Heartland Ukulele experience and their captivating medley of ‘Walking in the Air’ and ‘last Christmas’. This continued with the Heartlands Choral Society treating us to Leontovych’s ‘Chorus of the Bells’.

The job of closing the show went to the Heartlands ‘Funk’tion band. They performed festively wrapped’ jazz/funk arrangements of Donnie Hathaway’s ‘Last Christmas’ and the Jackson Five’s ‘Rockin’ Robin’ to a visibly moved audience.

The event was well-attended by parents and pupils alike. The rousing reception the performers received was a fantastic show of appreciation to our talented musicians here at Heartlands. With  culinary spice being added to the evening, courtesy of the Baking club and the PTA, the audience were exceptionally ‘wined and dined’ throughout the show.

Mr Rowe, Mr Barrow and Mr Lloyd would collectively like to thank all staff, pupils and parents who attended and congratulate all the performers on what was a very special evening.

Jay Rowe

Music Department

To view all the photos please click here

Friends and families are warmly invited to our Christmas recital which will take place at 6.30pm on Monday 15th December.  Students from all years will be showcasing their talent in a variety of ensembles, soloist performances and Christmas classics.

This is a unique opportunity for students to show the excellent progress they’ve made this term.  It promises to be an enjoyable evening and we hope that you will be with us to share in their success.

We will be serving refreshments, including mince pies and mulled wine! Tickets can only be paid for via ParentPay.  Entry: £2 for adults; £1 for children. We look forward to seeing you on the evening.

On Monday 8th of December the BBC came to Heartlands to film for a feature on the challenges of delivering the new Computing curriclum. 10Z showed off their fantastic programming skills, and impressed Rory Cellen-Jones, the BBC technology correspondant.

You can view the video here (from 0:45).

Special thanks to Ms Denny, Ms Levenson and Mr Khan for their support during filming.

Students from Year 11 literacy classes took part in a fantastic SEARCH Day trip to Cambridge University to attend the ‘First Story Young Writer’s Festival’. As well as taking part in some creative writing workshops (some of the work from which can be seen below), students listened to a talk from famous Author, Mark Haddon, who wrote ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, which the students read in Year 9.

“Blood was dripping. All I did was try to break up a fight. As soon as I turned around, a hungry ball thirsty for blood viciously hit me in my face. I was dazed, numb even. My emotions were blank like the white snow on a winter’s day. “Are you alright” a voice said full of panic. His eyes were fearful. The next thing I knew a pair of strong arms were dragging me into an ambulance.”  – Jaiden Peart

“I was travelling across my mother’s bed to get to the nearest wall. In my hand I held two pencils. One red and one blue. Eventually, I made it to a creamish white wall (my mum hadn’t realised as she had dozed off). Before I knew it, my mind had transformed this wall in to paper, and my body was ready to draw something that only my brain could see. The outcome was rubbish. The she woke up! Quickly trying her head to check where I was and if I was safe. Then, she saw my hand holding the two pencils and in one quick eye movement towards the wall she saw what I had done. “Keziah!” she said in a shocked tone…but she liked it and since then I have started to draw more and more often. As I have gotten older, my scribbles as a baby have turned into art” – Keziah Effie.

The students really enjoyed the day and we at Heartlands look forward to working with First Story throughout this year, ready to publish the very first Heartlands creative writing anthology in the Spring Term.

Andrew Lloyd
Teacher i/c Literacy

Please click on the link below to access information on Post-16 application deadlines for local schools and colleges.  If you would like a hard copy of this document, please come in and collect one from Reception.

Thank you.

Deadlinesforpost-16applications

On Tuesday 25th of November, four Heartlands Computing students were invited to visit Google’s headquarters in Tottenham Court Road, where they were asked to demonstrate the programming skills that they had been learning in school.

They met with a range of influential figures including politicians, educational professionals and business leaders. Rory Cellen-Jones (BBC) and Ian Livingstone (Games Workshop) were particularly excited to meet our students, with others suggesting that out students were ‘trailblazers’ of the new Computing curriculum.

Well done to Bartosz Stasik, Kejvin Kadiu, Amira Ibrahim and Daniella Adeluwoye.

We finish for the holidays on Friday 19th December. On the last day of term students will be dismissed between 12.15 and 12.30. A sandwich lunch will be provided to students in receipt of FSM before departure. Lessons will run as normal on the final day and attendance is essential.

Alice Clay
Deputy Headteacher