Meeting with Lord Haskel, was an informative, interesting experience, which introduced me to a glimpse of a life as a Lord, and what impact the House of Lords really has on our society. Whilst engaged in a presentation by Lord Haskel, we learnt about who the Lords are, what they do and the difference and similarities between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. We were educated on the history of the House of Lords, and how the current House of Lords impacts our society. I found it constructive, and intriguing how influential and significant the Lords are on the public and the Government. Lastly, Lord Haskel helpfully gave feedback on all our questions, from all topics, in detail, as well as delivering advice on how to pursue a role as a Lord. After this eye-opening experience, I agree with Lord Haskel that politics should have a more important aspect in young people’s education, and that we should encourage young people to seek involvement in politics.

Prem Ghatora [9R]

My experience with Lord Haskel's visit taught me a lot about politics. There was a lot more to it than I had expected. Lord Haskel was very descriptive with any questions that we asked and answered them thoroughly. He made a very valid point during the visit; he had mentioned children in politics. He had said that since a lot of politics are based around education, more children should be interested in this field, as they can speak for their fellow students. 

Overall, it was a delightful experience, and I am glad to have had the chance to be a part of it. 

Avneet Virdee [9B]

I am thrilled to report that, as Year 13 BTEC Level 3 Applied Science students, we recently had the chance to examine a fictitious murder scene. We were able to test our scientific knowledge in an exciting and instructive encounter. We all had a terrific time cooperating to solve the crime, from gathering evidence to having our individual CSI roles.

First, we wore our PPE which included wearing a coverall, then we cordoned off the crime scene and then took photographs and measurements. After this process, we gathered evidence with minimal cross-contamination to improve the integrity of the evidence so that the evidence can help highlight what happened during the crime. This evidence would also be strong in Court when trying to support an argument. 

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while studying the scene, and we learned vital skills that will help us in our future employment. All in all, it was a wonderful event that we will all cherish for a long time.

Blazhe Ivchev 13B and Palvin Fernandes 13B

 

School Activities – 15 - 16 March 

On 15 and 16, Heston Community School continued to support our students with online learning and some on-site lessons. 

Sixth formers worked on revision and coursework. Asad [12C] told us, “As part of my IT Coursework, I am revising cyber-security and examining the pros and cons of different networks.”     

Serena, a Year 12 Business BTEC student said, “We are learning about quality management and how to do different checks to ensure organisations are working to standard.” 

Anna [12B], is a Science T level student informed us, "I was busy finishing off my Forensic report for Criminology. We investigated a mock crime scene last week.” 

Year 11 students came in to prepare for GCSE examinations. Smriti [11G]said, “We are doing a whole past paper for Maths as a group, looking at a range of possible questions that might come up in our mock this afternoon. Extra help is always good!” 

Over in the English area, Arshil [11R] said, ”We have practised language analysis and how to apply it to our essays today.” His classmate Amna [11Y] added, “We have 34 school days left before the real exams start, so it is important to revise.” 

Year 7 enjoyed PE lessons, History, Drop Everything and read, and a PSHE lesson about bullying.

 

Anusha [7R] told us, “We have looked at a video about different types of bullying and done pair work on summing up the issues.”  

Karolis [7R] added, “We discussed different ways of dealing with different types of bullying.” 

Kacper [7P] said, "In History, we have been learning about The Black Death, how many people were killed and how it affected Europe.”  

In the Sports Hall, Malak [7G] said, “I like the teamwork, today we have been shown how to score.” 

Outside on the courts, Ilyas [7B] said, "The boys were playing a whole game after recapping, scoring, passing and defending”.

It was great to hear so much positivity from the students.  

On Monday, 13 March we had two students who are currently studying at Somerville College, University of Oxford, talk to some students from Year 9-12. They gave an insight into studying at the University, as well as information on admissions. Students had the opportunity to learn more about how best to prepare for university and how to access further support in the future.

Feedback

"Having aspirations of attending the University of Oxford, the Somerville Access Roadshow immediately piqued my interest. Going in, I hadn't heard of Somerville, but the speakers gave a brief overview of their college's history, the other colleges, and the entire university, which was very engaging. What I valued most from the talk was their experiences with the admissions process. Hearing how they [the speakers] had prepared for their interviews and written their statements made the process feel less frightening and more of a possibility. Overall, it was a fascinating insight into life at the University of Oxford that will be invaluable to all potential applicants."

Moaiad Adam [12H]

The Somerville College Roadshow was a fantastic opportunity for us to understand the Oxford University experience; we learnt about admissions, the variety of colleges and aspects of university life. We were given information about the Oxford application and interview process, and how it may differ from other universities and colleges. It was so interesting to receive first-hand experiences from Oxford students, who also offered advice about UCAS applications for Year 12’s, and even revision strategies and the importance of being passionate about subjects for younger years. Overall, it was an invaluable experience and I gained lots of knowledge from it!

Jessica Badhan [12A]

On Friday, 03 March 2023, we invited Peter Radford [Beyond This] to speak to Year 11 students, and selected Year 13 students. Peter is an inspirational public speaker who we have had the pleasure of having in Heston on many occasions to speak to both staff and students. The focus of the Exam Winner Workshop was to motivate students and their growth mindset, work on memory techniques and revision strategies and how students can cope with stress.

The workshop really helped me because I have realised how many revision techniques there are and how I can effectively use them. I really enjoyed that it was interactive as well because it got everyone involved and engaged.

Kiran Gill [11R]

The workshop provided valuable insights into the essential elements of an effective revision session while also highlighting typical mistakes students make when revising. Furthermore, the presenter shared helpful tips on what to do and what to avoid, maximizing our revision productivity. This information proved to be beneficial, as it equipped us with the necessary tools to prepare for forthcoming exams such as GCSEs and A Levels.

The speaker presented clear examples of the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and explained in detail how each one can impact academic achievement. This encouraged us to reflect on our own mindset and assess whether we have a fixed or growth mindset. This is essential in determining the effectiveness of our revision strategies.

Arshil Warsi [11R]

At our school final in February 2023, Angelina Tihhomirova [10O] was selected as Heston’s representative in the regional final of the ‘Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge’, a public speaking competition in which entrants must speak without notes for between 1.5 and 3 minutes on a topic of their choice.

Our judges, Ms Hart and Ms Currie, also highly commended Subhan Sohail [10P] and Thameera Ladva [10W], as well as recognising the courage, passion and preparation of all of our finalists.

At the regional final at Brentford School for Girls on Tuesday, 28 February, Angelina powerfully delivered her speech about the limitations of our current education, with real flair and confidence.

Whilst the competition was very strong, Angelina exemplified our values of ambition and resilience, and we are so proud of her.

Angelina says: “During this event, I was very excited to hear other people's speeches and to express my own. I think that the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge has helped me to become more confident talking in front of big groups of people. I would definitely recommend other students to take advantage of this opportunity as you can greatly improve your communication skills and boost your confidence!”