Year 7 Rounders Team Secure A Fantastic 10–4 Victory Over The Heathland School

Our Year 7 rounders team delivered an outstanding performance last week, securing an impressive 10–4 win against The Heathland School in a match full of energy, teamwork, and skill.

From the very first innings, our team showed confidence and determination. Strong and accurate batting from Sharon and Mansirat allowed them to score quickly, with several well-placed hits sending the opposition fielders under pressure. The team demonstrated excellent communication when running between posts, in particular Raisam, Ariana and Sonam making smart decisions to build a lead early in the game.

On the field, the team were equally impressive. Sharp catching, quick thinking, and accurate throwing limited The Heathland School’s scoring opportunities. Several key players made crucial outs at important moments, which helped maintain control of the match throughout.

What stood out most was the team’s excellent teamwork and positive attitude for their first game of the season. Every player contributed, supporting one another and showing great sportsmanship from start to finish. Their focus and effort paid off, resulting in a well-deserved victory.

A huge well done to all players involved – we are incredibly proud of your performance!

We look forward to seeing the team continue their success in upcoming matches after half-term.

Team: Leyla, Mansirat, Jiyana, Sonam, Sharon, Raisam, Sargun and Ariana.

Reflecting on the DofE practice expedition, I was able to develop confidence in my navigation skills and learn to trust myself even if it was difficult to.  And adapt to being in an unfamiliar environment. One of the most challenging moments was the long walk back from the Co‑op checkpoint to the campsite on the first day, arriving at the camp where tiredness and exhaustion while carrying my heavy rucksack tested my resilience, but we kept going by managing our pace. Even when we got lost, we still pushed through, which I think taught me an important life lesson [NN Y12]

Upon reflection, the DofE practice expedition enabled me to develop my communication skills and improve my navigation skills, as that was something I struggled with at the start of the practice expedition and I was also able to improve my problem solving skills. Instead of panicking during stressful or difficult situations, I was able to think carefully and to solve them on my own. One thing that I liked was the change of environment/scenery as it allowed me to learn to adapt to different environments and stay ambitious and resilient [AW Y12]

On Friday, we started off by reaching the skate park successfully but took the wrong route, not following the map correctly. This was a huge disappointment to us as we thought we had successfully managed to follow our route. However, Mr Ghataura informed us we went in circles for about 3 hours! We did have a nice pit stop at a park a few feet from the skate park where we ate our lunch and went on the swings, which made us really enjoy having come to the expedition!
Having gone in circles the first day, I was motivated to document our route & stops for Saturday. With emotions running both low [from the lack of sleep due to the cold conditions] and high [determination to get to our checkpoints with a route we designed] we started our route and knew we followed the route 90% correctly this time as I documented the timings and the road names when we entered and left. Sadly, we encountered a carcase of a deer. We left a flower nearby to pay our respects, which helped us a little bit overcome the traumatic site. [AB Y12]

On the morning of Friday the 01 of May, we were to set off for our DofE practice expedition, I felt a sense of both nervousness and unease. We brought journals to record our emotions throughout different parts of the expedition, as that was our team goal. On the coach ride there, I was more at ease since I was able to interact with my teammates. We played card games and did some drawing, and that allowed me to relax a bit. After we set off upon arrival to the parking lot [with a few hiccups], I felt somewhat confident. Overall, the Friday route was alright. Along the route we had some difficulties, but it wasn’t a bad first impression of the hike and the ones yet to come. We arrived at the skate park and met up with groups 4 and 6, saw the minivan pull up into the local parking area and were taken to the campsite. The time at the campsite was amazing. Our team was able to relax, get some food, set up our tents and other necessities. It was nice to interact and socialise with everyone there. [VH Y12]

During the expedition, I motivated my team throughout the journey, so we did not give up and got further along the route that we had taken. At times, we were tired and exhausted, but we kept pushing through. Our team goals had us assessing the nature of the environment and the paths we took. When assessing these goals in our expedition, I noticed that some paths were small and hard to notice. Using the map, we could see the path, but when we got there, we had to work hard to find the path we were looking for as it blended into the environment, making it hard to spot. It took us some time to find the paths, but we got there in the end. When we did find the paths, the majority of the paths had no letters and were clean. [OG Y12]

Before the Easter holidays, the Music, Dance and Drama departments organised a phenomenal showcase with a variety of flawless acts. We performed a traditional style of dance, accompanied by live music played by Shaan and Dylan Gill. The crowd was taken aback by the use of instruments, such as the electric guitar, drums, dhol, piano and the captivating singers. Year 9 students also executed an infamous production of Othello, a traditional Shakespearean play, which was perfectly engaging. One of the most iconic acts was Richard Sandu enacting the legendary Michael Jackson. Overall, it was an exceptional event which gave all performers an opportunity to express their talents with their determination. The audience was mesmerised by every single act and the hard work they put in. Thank you to all those who took part and were involved!

Jaania Kanvar [11Y] and Jaya Dhillon [11B]

I’m interested in going into business, especially the financial side, because I study Business at school and enjoy working with numbers, analysing information and understanding how companies make financial decisions. I’m considering becoming a financial accountant or going into management for high-end car brands.

I’ve chosen this pathway because I like problem-solving and seeing how financial decisions impact real businesses. My strengths include organisation — I manage my tasks well and meet deadlines — and communication, as I can explain my ideas clearly, which is important when presenting financial information.

I’ve been researching accounting careers and attending virtual events with companies like PwC, Lloyds and BDO, which have given me more detailed information about the role. UCAS Day was also really helpful because it showed me the different qualifications and routes into finance, which helped me understand what I need to do next.

My next steps are to find a good company to work with and hopefully secure a placement, as well as completing an introductory accounting course to build my knowledge.

Maria Beigi – Business & Finance Pathway

I’m interested in something related to finance, possibly becoming an accountant. I’ve chosen this path because I want to gain practical experience while developing skills that are useful in many industries. I enjoy working with numbers and understanding how money is managed in real businesses. I’m also interested in how financial decisions are made and how they affect the success of an organisation. I like the idea of earning money while learning and gaining real-life experience instead of only studying in a classroom.

I believe I have strong attention to detail, good organisation, time management and clear communication skills. I’ve completed virtual experiences on Springpod and Unifrog activities related to business and employability. I’ve also researched different finance apprenticeships and their entry requirements. UCAS Day helped me understand the different routes available in finance.

My next step would be to watch a video or documentary about finance careers, such as “A Day in the Life of a Finance Apprentice.” One clear goal for the next 3–6 months is to complete an online finance course and build a small portfolio of notes and activities to support future apprenticeship applications.

Zubaida Malik – Finance Pathway

I have chosen to pursue Biomedical Sciences because I’m interested in understanding the root causes of diseases rather than only treating the symptoms. Many science students go into medicine, but I want to focus on how illnesses develop and contribute to future medical breakthroughs.

UCAS Day helped me understand the different pathways within biomedical sciences and how universities structure their courses. To explore this career further, I’ve looked into different sub‑sections such as haematology and developed skills like precision and accuracy through my science subjects, especially chemistry.

My next steps are to continue researching universities, complete relevant activities on Unifrog, and revise consistently so I can work towards this pathway with confidence.

Najma Noor – Biomedical Sciences Pathway

Taking part in the STEM Challenge 2026 was an amazing opportunity. It gave us a chance to work collectively, voice all our ideas, and later put them all together to create an informative piece of work.

We decided to study the topic "AI in Healthcare" and focused on the pros and cons of each aspect. While working, we considered existing illnesses and viruses and what cures could be put in place to benefit us all now and in the future. The advantages of it for doctors and patients is that it can spot what the naked eye can't and reduces waiting time.

However, there is still a lot more research that needs to be done in this field to make the system even more accurate. Overall, it was a great experience and taught me a lot! 

Thank you to Miss Mohamed in Science for running the event. 

Shanaya Gambhir 7Y