It has been another busy month in KS3. Some notable items to mention:

• Y7 had an Art trip to the Pitt Rivers & Natural History Museum in Oxford.
• Y8 had a Languages trip to the B.F.I. iMax theatre in London to watch some foreign language films – read more and see the photos below!
• Y8 are currently gearing up for 'Make a Mark Week' – the first week back after half-term, as part of their Graduation Programme. All very exciting and worthy.

I must mention the fantastic success of the Year 7 boys football team who have won their league this term. Well done to all the players and coach Mr May – what a tremendous achievement!

Have a wonderful half-term!

Mr Rayner & The KS3 Team

It has been an incredibly busy and rewarding period across KS4, with so many achievements to celebrate.

At the end of April, our strongest mathematicians showcased their talents in the Maths Challenge, demonstrating impressive problem-solving skills and resilience.

Year 10 students have also been making the most of the opportunities beyond the classroom, including an enriching trip to Bristol. Their wider personal development continues to shine through initiatives such as the Citizenship-led fundraising event on 15th May, where students organised a bake sale and the ever-popular “pie a teacher” activity – read more in the article below.

Meanwhile, collaboration and community impact have been at the heart of our Year 9 Technology students’ work, as they proudly created seven handmade benches for Little Heath Haven in partnership with the Purley Sustainability Group Repair Café. See our social media pages for photos!

We are also delighted that a group of Year 9 girls were successful in winning the Newbury and District Agricultural Design ‘Make and Market’ Challenge—an outstanding achievement that reflects both creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. A link to our website news article is below.

Year 10 students have continued to grow in confidence and ambition through a range of experiences. Alongside Year 12 peers, they attended the Young Enterprise Competition at The Oracle offices, developing key skills in teamwork, communication and presenting under pressure. The boys also benefited from an inspiring and thought-provoking talk from Shaun Flores, who explored themes of masculinity, mental health, neurodiversity and resilience, sparking meaningful discussion and reflection. It has been particularly encouraging to see this engagement continue through the Creative Writing Group, where a number of our Year 10 boys have been involved in producing thoughtful responses to these themes.

In addition, Year 10 students have been busy rehearsing for Drama productions and have been on their First World War Battlefields Trip to Belgium and France over half term. We wish them—and those attending the Watersports Trip over half term—a fantastic and memorable experience.

Elsewhere, Year 9 students have also enjoyed a successful visit to Bristol, while those studying Child Development welcomed midwives from Health Reach, gaining valuable real-world insight into the profession.

A huge well done must go to all students involved in the spectacular Spring Concert, which highlighted the breadth of talent across the school.

Finally, we would like to commend our Year 11 students, who have approached their written GCSE examinations with maturity and determination. Now approximately halfway through the exam period, they have represented themselves and the school brilliantly.

The KS4 team wishes all students a restful and enjoyable half-term—particularly Year 11, who should take the opportunity to recharge before continuing their revision and finishing their exams strongly. Finally, if anyone is successful with anything extracurricular beyond school, we would love to hear from you.

Mrs Rayner & The KS4 Team

Our performers and musicians created a wonderful evening of entertainment at the Spring Concert this month.

We enjoyed performances of music from Queen, Billie Eilish, The Cure and Lewis Capaldi, to name a few. From the gentle elegance of Chopin's 'Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2' to the uplifting energy of 'High Hopes', this concert captured the spirit of spring through music from calm to upbeat, capturing the happy feeling of this season.

Thank you to all those who came to watch the concert. We hope you enjoyed the performances as much as we did!

Join us for the next event...Shrek the Musical! Coming July 2026!

At the end of April over 120 of our Year 7 and 8 students sat the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge – a one-hour exam that “encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought and fluency to make students think.”

We were delighted with our students' results, with 30% receiving a Gold or Silver award. 

Some of our Gold award winners 

A special mention goes to: Levi W, Henry B, Lewis L, Ethan M, Alex S, Sebastian J and Humphrey S. These seven students have qualified to go forward into the next round held in June, meaning their results were some of the very best in the country!

Well done to all our students who took part.

Year 8 French students visited the British Film Institute in London this month.

They watched a series of short films in French followed by a discussion...all in French! They also enjoyed watching a French animated film in the afternoon.

It was an amazing trip and all the students had a great time! C'était une belle journée!

This month, Year 9 Triple Physics students took part in an SSEN Future Energy Workshop.

The workshop focused on the future of energy, net-zero, AI/digitalisation in energy systems, and careers within the energy sector. Students worked collaboratively on interactive activities and discussed fairness and sustainability in future energy use.  

Year 10 students, who are currently working towards their Citizenship GCSE, have been fundraising to raise money for the Little Heath Haven nature space this term. They want to use the funds to buy seeds and plants so they can grow vegetables and herbs on the school grounds. 

They have been conducting research on suitable plants to grow, as well as discussing what food Culinera, our Food and Nutrition classes, and the on-site nursery, would be able to use. 

They recently held a bake sale and a 'Pie the Teacher' event, which has raised almost £60 for their plant fund. Watch this space for more updates on their project.

In February this year, six brilliant Year 12 students took part in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project Holocaust Educational Trust - LFA Project. This involved a commitment to take part in seminars, research and education about the Holocaust and its legacies today, but also visit Auschwitz and complete a reflection and Next Steps project.

The students are now supporting Holocaust education within the school by coming in to Year 8 History lessons who have started the topic.

These students have conducted themselves with consideration, thoughtfulness and compassion for an important and upsetting part of the past. A huge well done to Flossie, Tess, Leo, Riley, Ellie and Alexander, we're really proud of them! A big thank you to Mr Herring too, who has supported these students through the project. 

We held an assembly this month for our outgoing Year 13 students to celebrate their years at Little Heath.

Mr Jessop handed out awards including 'Most likely to become Prime Minister' and 'Most likely to work at LHS'; honoured some of their questionable 'life choices' (with photographic and video evidence!); thanked members of the Student Senior Leadership Team; but most importantly, wished all our students the very best of luck with their exams and their future beyond Little Heath.

We will miss you guys...now go and smash those exams!!

• 5/5 - Y10 U15 Boys Football County Cup Semi-Final, LHS 4 v 2 The Willink
• 13/5 - Y8 U13 Cricket match, LHS v Highdown POSTPONED
• 20/5 - Y8 U13 Cricket match, LHS v The Wren - The Wren posted 123 and LHS couldn't chase it down in the remaining overs
• May - Y10 U15 Boys Football County Cup Final, LHS 1 v Forest 4
• May - Y10 U15 Cricket match, LOST against Willink

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