Secondary

Earth & Stars

Students in Earth and Stars class have had a great start to the year and continue to develop important life skills  See our Earth & Stars develop skills for life news article for more information on just one of the groups highlights from the term.

English

It has been a fantastic start to the year in English! Year 9 have been exploring Shakespeare’s villains, Year 8 have been learning about World War Two through Once, and Year 7 have begun their journey with Wonder. Our Key Stage4 students have been working hard to develop their exam skills and prepare for their upcoming GCSEs. We are also delighted to have a GCSE Literature class this year, who have already produced some brilliant work on An Inspector Calls.

Maths 

Our Year 11 GCSE Group were learning about congruence proofs with triangles. They were given some paper straws and paperclips to create triangles. The question was: Can you create only one triangle with the given information, no triangle or more than one.  They then learnt about the proofs SSS, SAS, ASA, AAS and RHL.

    

Science

The Year 10 Science group have completed a few required practicals this term. One was on osmosis; the effect of different concentrations of sugar water on pieces of potato. The group shows excellent cooperative skills and Scientific reasoning skills.

Year 10 students are completing their Bronze CREST award. Some students have chosen to investigate how to make a bath bomb fizzy, and others have chosen to look at how to make a roller coaster faster! The students have shown fantastic skills in teamwork, project management and creativity.  

Computer Science

Teaching Earth students for the first time this term has been particularly special. Their enthusiasm for learning to edit images using Photoshop has been a real highlight. 

  

History

Venus Class has travelled back in time to one of the most dramatic chapters in British history: 1066 and the Battle of Hastings. Rather than just reading about the past, the children stepped directly onto the battlefield. Pupils learnt how Anglo-Saxon soldiers formed a tightly locked shield wall on Senlac Hill to defend their kingdom against William the Conqueror’s invading Norman army. By analysing tactical maps and studying famous sources like the Bayeux Tapestry, the class discovered how King Harold II fought to protect his crown and how a single day changed the course of English history forever. From learning about battle tactics and armor to investigating the tragic fate of King Harold, Venus Class has proven to be true history detectives!

Geography

Venus Class turned geography into a hands-on art project! To understand how maps represent high and low ground, the children traded their textbooks for sheets of corrugated cardboard, scissors, and glue.
Working step-by-step, pupils built 3D relief models from scratch. Starting with a broad base for low land, they stacked smaller and smaller layers on top to build up steep hills and towering mountain peaks. By painting their finished creations and tracing around each layer, they discovered the secret of contour lines—learning that when lines are close together on a map, the land is steep, and when they are spread out, the ground is flat. It was a brilliant blend of geography and craft, and Venus Class now has a peak understanding of height and elevation!

 

Drama 

We now have three Key Stage 4 classes for Drama who are all doing extremely well and have really got stuck into some challenging coursework exploring the Theatre practitioner Stanislavski. 

Music

This term students have been learning to play a variety of different instruments. Earth class have been learning the recorder.

  

Art

Read our News from the Art Department news article to find out what students have been learning and see lots of pictures.

PE

This term in PE, students have been developing their skills and understanding of both badminton and football. A big shout-out to our new Year 7s Venus, who have shown exceptional improvement over the past six weeks. Well done also to Jamie, Lochlan, Lowen and Jacob, who have been developing their understanding of set plays in football and demonstrating how these can be used effectively during games. It has been great to see students building their skills, confidence and tactical awareness throughout the term! 

PSHE

In PSHE, pupils have been learning about emotions and mental health, exploring how to recognise and understand their feelings and how these can affect their wellbeing. Positive strategies for managing emotions, looking after our mental health and knowing when and how to seek support from others, have also been discussed. 

Business Administration

Students are developing their workplace and revision skills in business admin in preparation for their upcoming mock exams. Some are completing a purchase order for the Finance team, while others are creating revision flashcards as a business admin task, using office equipment and working collaboratively to support their exam preparation.   

    

Young Enterprise

Students from Saturn and Neptune have been busy brainstorming ideas for their new Young Enterprise company. They have shown great enthusiasm and creativity while brainstorming company names, logos, slogans and mission statements, all reflecting their chosen company ethos. It’s exciting to see their entrepreneurial ideas taking shape as they begin their journey into the world of business!

Catering

Read our Food Production & Cookery news article for lots of information on the catering course at Heathermount.

Childcare

In childcare, students are finishing off learning all the content of the course so that they can start preparing for the Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) which they will start after Christmas. There are 4 more units to cover. The NEA, worth 50% of the overall grade, is a 14 hour assessment where the students are given a case study and have to complete six tasks using the case study.  After this they will be preparing for their summer exam.  

Construction

Please see our Construction at Heathermount news article for lots of information on the valuable skills our construction students have been learning at Heathermount.

Horticulture & Forest School

This term, our Forest School students have been developing their outdoor cooking skills, learning to safely prepare food using Trangia stoves. Students have also been busy scarifying the school grass and planting up the planters around the school, helping to improve and brighten our outdoor spaces.