LATE START 14/12/2022

13th December 2022Ms E Roberts
We will be opening the site tomorrow for students from 10.30am (lessons will start at 10.50) The site was manageable today but only as facilities have worked so hard.  The students were very well behaved and understood that the snow is now ice and so not to be thrown or played with.
The problem we now have is the melted snow will turn to ice overnight as the temperature plummets.  Paths in and out of school are very hazardous and it is far more sensible for students to be attempting journeys later in the morning.
Students 
  • the yr11 gate will be closed year 11 will come in via the main gate
  • We have gritted and cleared the site and made it safe as long as students are sensible and stick to cleared paths they will be safe
  • Stuents should avoid public trasnport at all costs, there is a train strike and the buses will be VERY busy.  Walking sensisbly to school is the best idea.  Students should leave early as walking will take longer
  • students should wear senisble, waterproof shoes to school.

Please remind students: 

  • to bring all their equipement to school as usual we will be teaching a full normal timetable from P3
  • not to throw or play with the snow/ice etc as we have cleared this into piles it may have other materials in it they can not see which would hurt someone if thrown
I will post daily updates as we expect the freezing conditions to continue all week.  If you have any queries or questions please contact me via office@heartlands.haringey.sch.uk
Thank you
Mrs Roberts

SNOW UPDATES OPEN WITH LATE START 13/12/2022 (UPDATED BY MRS ROBERTS AT 4.30pm ON 12/12/2022)

12th December 2022Ms E Roberts

We will be opening on the 13/12/2022.  This is all down to the hard work of our facilites team who are amazing and have worked all day to make this a possibility!

We will open to students from 10.30am with lessons starting at 10.50am. Some points of organisation: 

  • The year 11 gate (and path) is not safe to use so year 11 will be asked to enter through the main gate
  • We have gritted and cleared the site and made it safe as long as students are sensible and stick to cleared paths they will be safe, we will instruct them as they enter
  • Stuents should avoid public trasnport at all costs, there is a train strike and the buses will be VERY busy.  Walking sensisbly to school is the best idea.  Students should leave early as walking will take longer
  • students should wear senisble, waterproof shoes to school.

Please remind students: 

  • to bring all their equipement to school as usual we will be teaching a full normal timetable from P3
  • not to throw or play with the snow/ice etc as we have cleared this into piles it may have other materials in it they can not see which would hurt someone if thrown
  • it is christmas dinner tomorrow and they should be ready to take part in this annual, fun activity

SNOW UPDATES 12/12/2022 (UPDATED BY MRS ROBERTS AT 6AM ON 12/12/2022)

12th December 2022Ms E Roberts

Good morning

Having assessed the situation after the very heavy overnight snowfall we will be closed today.  HHS is a very tricky site to clear as it’s over three levels, we have had our amazing site team of 4 clearing until 11pm last night and again from 5am!  However, we will have to close due to:

  • The site will not be cleared of snow and ice for use with full emergency routes out; our teams have worked until 11pm last night and were onsite at 5am and will continue to clear all day
  • The car park will not be a priority to clear and there are currently no trains in or out of Alexandra Palace Station and delays on the tubes, buses are significantly impacted and running a reduced service meaning many of our staff and students cannot get in or home
  • Primary schools and nurseries will be closing meaning staff will be at home with dependants, care services will be disrupted meaning family members will need to support vulnerable relatives

Students will be set assignments via the DPR by their teachers: they should check this between 9.30-10am.  In period one we advise you to undertake your 20 minutes of daily reading or go outside and make a snow sculpture!  Once you have finished your snow sculpture (and sent your form tutor a photo!) you can logon to DPR and start some work for the day! 

Group A Strep: information update

8th December 2022Ms E Roberts
I am writing in relation to the growing concern about Group A Strep which very rarely can also cause something called invasive group A streptococcal infection or iGAS which has resulted in 8 tragic child deaths in the UK in recent weeks. 
Below are some links which will help you.  At present we are confident the risk is very low but to ensure we are on alert to the symptoms and ready to support students should we need to.  We have trained all our first aiders on the risks and what to look for and our student support team will receive extra support and training.

Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:

  • your child is getting worse
  • your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
  • your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
  • your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher
  • your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
  • your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

  • your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
  • there are pauses when your child breathes
  • your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
  • your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake
What are we doing as a school? 
We continue to adhere to good hygiene routines, washing hands and keeping surfaces as clear as possible to ensure our amazing cleaners can do a thorough job in the morning and evening. 
 
Staff will send students to student services f they meet the usual threshold of seeming genuinely and significantly unwell or injured. We will contact parents where necessary. 
Where to get more information? 
I know many of you are worried but please try and remain focused on the fact this is very rare and most who carry the bacteria are not ill and there is no natural progression from other illnesses; it happens only in a few, unfortunate cases.
If you have any concerns please email us on office@heartlands.haringey.sch.uk
Thank you
Mrs Roberts
Headteacher
Some reading/viewing if you wish to know more

Year 7 Parents – Upcoming Events Explained

18th November 2022Miss M Jones
Within the next few weeks you will be sent information regarding two school events:
.
AFA DAY: Friday 9th December 2022, 8:15 – 3:15pm
.
On AFA day you will have the opportunity to meet your child’s tutor to discuss their well-being and how they are settling into school. Your child will not have timetabled lessons and will be expected to attend their appointment with you.
.
Year 7 Progress Evening: Thursday 5th January 2023, 4:00 – 6:00pm
.
On Progress Evening you will meet subject teachers, discuss your child’s academic progress and set targets to help them improve. This will be a normal school day.
.
We look forward to seeing you on both days.

School Closure 3rd October 2022

2nd October 2022Ms E Roberts

Heartlands High School will be closed on Monday 3rd October 2022.  Unfortunatly the hot water system in the building has failed.

We are hopeful this will be fixed in time for normal opening on Tuesday 4th October.  All students and parents will be contacted on the 3rd October with an update

Parents are advised to get in touch ASAP via the office@heartlands.haringey.sch.uk email address with any queries or questions.

Take care

HHS BHM 2022

30th September 2022Ms E Roberts

I am pleased to write to you with details of how we will be celebrating Black History Month here at Heartlands. Though we are proud of how diverse and inclusive our curriculum is all year around, October provides an opportunity to bring black history to the forefront of what we do as a school and we are very excited about the steps we will be taking this October to celebrate.

The theme this year is ‘Actions not Words’, and staff and students will all be involved in a variety of activities and initiatives, which will take place both in and out of lessons. Over the coming fortnight, students will have the opportunity to design their own badges, which will all be rewarded by merits, and the winning design will be produced and given to students across the month. Next week (week beginning 3rd October), students will listen to assemblies presented by staff on the theme of ‘Actions Not Words’, and our curriculum offer will ensure that lessons are completely representative and inclusive in all subject areas. 

Our staff will be displaying posters on their doors of black British activists, sharing with students reasons why they have chosen these people, and encouraging discussions about their role in history. Equally, pupils will be given the opportunity to research black British activists and present to their tutor groups in vertical tutor time. Our librarian Mr Auerbach-George is also creating a Black History Month display in the library and setting pupils the challenge of reading the books and presenting facts they have learned to him, which will be rewarded with merits. 

We are also incredibly excited to be organising an event after school on Thursday 20th October 2022 for students and staff, which will provide a fantastic opportunity to celebrate black history. This will include food, art, fashion, dance, music and more. We will speak to students over the coming weeks with further details, and to ensure that they are as involved as possible in this event, from bringing in dishes to joining the school’s Djembe drumming club and performing at this event. Finally, our restaurant menus will change once per week across October to include a variety of foods, including jollof rice, Senegalese-style chicken, plantain as an accompanying dish and much more. This is in response to overwhelmingly positive pupil feedback from last year and we are excited to continue this initiative.

We have always celebrated Black History Month here at Heartlands, and this celebration is part of a much wider commitment that we have of diversifying our curriculum to ensure that it represents our multicultural school community. Last year, our History and English faculties worked in partnership with the Black Curriculum, a social enterprise that aims to deliver Black history across the UK. With their help, we were able to reflect on our current schemes of learning and change/adapt in line with their advice and guidance. 

Diversifying our curriculum is a long term, but essential project, and the rest of our curriculum leaders are excited about the changes they can make to our curriculum, and the impact this can have for our students. 

Please do email me if you have any suggestions on how we can make the event on 20th October as big as possible, and I would be happy to discuss this further. This may be through sending in dishes of food, supplying traditional dress to display, providing poetry and artwork to display or any other way in which we can celebrate black culture and history. Kind regards,

Mr P Anastasi

Assistant Headteacher Deputy Headteacher