The Junior Physics Challenge was definitely an experience to be thankful for. The Sixth Formers: Biansha Kapoor, Kiran Barrass and Aisha Ali were dedicated to helping me do my best and take on this challenge. Throughout the process I have gained much more knowledge which I have been able to incorporate into my lessons, I feel as though I have developed a greater understanding of physics and useful skills I can use later in life. Whilst Biansha was teaching me, I enjoyed learning Newton’s Laws the most. The manner in which she taught was very interactive, using whiteboards and discussing a lot of the questions, which made the lessons more enjoyable.  

Having these sessions twice a week really allowed me to learn more about one of my favourite sciences it made it easier to understand topics I was interested in.  The Sixth Formers were able to break down the topic and explain it to me in a way I could understand. If this club was to run next year I would more than likely join, and again as a year 11, hopefully learning harder topics. 

Results from Year 9: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze

Results from Year 10: 1 Gold, 14 Silver, 26 Bronze, 4 Commendations 

Ayurdha Mannyamgari Year 9 [Silver Award Winner]

Heston hosts a celebrity!

We were so happy to welcome Radio 1 DJ, Clara Amfo to our school.  She was working partnership with Pantene to promote their ‘Power of Hair’ campaign that works with schools across the country to promote the acceptance of different types of hair. The workshop saw us discussing hair and identity as well as the discrimination suffered by some people because of their hair type or style.

I would like to work in the beauty and fashion industry and this provided lots of opportunities for us to discuss really pertinent issues regarding our hair and how we are perceived.  There was also an opportunity to put our own thoughts and ideas as well as what we learnt into poetry.  We were very well supported by two excellent poets who gave us great insight into producing meaningful poetry.

This was definitely one of the best events I have ever participated in and I loved meeting Clara.  She was amazing.

Madline Acheaw [12D]

You can view the video via this link:

https://app.frame.io/reviews/3d14d3b4-d24d-424b-80d0-e990d919b6ac/d79d4570-2926-40f7-ad34-8623803d9c8f

Heston Community School feels extremely grateful to Nuffield Health this term. Every Monday after school, 3 or 4 Nuffield Health Personal Trainers come and work on fitness with some of our Year 9 and 11 students. 

Students take part in some individual fitness activities and some team-building competitions. 

They all feel invigorated by the sessions and have amazed themselves by adapting to new challenges. “It is exhausting, but definitely benefits the brain as well as the body, so I think it is helpful it in the run-up to the exams.” says Kilian V, Year 11

”I have really pushed myself”. His fellow Year 11 Caleb says, “They have given us a really good workout that includes strength, stamina and speed.” Logan M, Year 11

“It was difficult but fun.” Kiran G, Year 11and her friend Taran B, Year 11, says, “I feel de-stressed and ready to revise!”

Many of the Year 11s said they would now aim to try some of the exercises at home as part of their own self-care. 

Bettina Keki, one of the Personal Trainers, explains “We hope to also offer some sessions during half-term and the Summer, so students can maintain their fitness.” 

As a school, we want every student to benefit from taking part in Enrichment activities. Enrichment activities are any kind of club or experience like a trip which add value to a student’s school experience, skills, talents, knowledge or well-being. We look forward to continuing our link with Nuffield Health and hope to have news about holiday sessions soon so that students can really grow in confidence and strength.

Murder on the Nile

On Friday, 24 March the Year 11 GCSE Drama class went to see Murder on the Nile at The Questors Theatre in Ealing Broadway. It was an exciting production, full of suspense and intrigue. None of us guessed who the murderer was! It was great to see the staging and character development. Thank you to Miss Gould for organising this opportunity.

RE Super Learning Day  

My experience at the Laxmi Narayan Temple was really incredible. I learnt about all about Hindu faiths and beliefs, like karma and reincarnation. As we got there, we had to take our shoes off and enter the main prayer hall. There was one really important rule and that was not to face away from the 10 Gods [which were statues that they had breathed life into] that were located at the front of the prayer hall.  They wore bright, decorative clothes, which we were told, were handmade for them, and they wore them for three weeks and then got new outfits.

We had the chance to do a Q and A about Hindus and I learnt that they believe that if you die God will give you another life. Then, we stood up for a prayer called Arti. We also had to keep our hands together.  After this we received some holy food and drinks that had been blessed by the Gods. It was fascinating learning about another religion and their belief systems and how it influenced their day-to-day lives.

Takdeer Khurana [7G]

The trip to IBM was an enriching experience for T-level Management and Administration students in Year 12.  We got the opportunity to find out more about the work of IBM, one of the biggest technology companies in the UK, whilst also improving our employability skills. 

The aim of the day was to interview students for placements at IBM.  This was a valuable experience as it taught us interview skills, making us work ready.  We had learnt about the STAR method in previous work ready sessions, so this was a nice opportunity to apply what we had learnt.  We really benefited from being interviewed in the workplace, for some of us this was our first ever interview, so naturally it was both a daunting but insightful day.    

As part of the day we looked at some of the work carried out by IBM.  IBM is focusing on AI and has completed projects such as the unmanned boat.  A boat can be controlled by AI to explore the ocean, an easier, efficient and modern way to gather information about the ocean.  As part of our tour we saw a robot dog.  The dog is programmed to walk around the building and detect problems or issues in machines.  It is also used to make data gathering easier using thermal imaging, LiDAR or 3D scanning for tasks such as digital twin creation.  Seeing such advance technology opened our minds in regard to what technology can do and how it is used to help us in our everyday life.

Manveen Bedi [12C]