The first edition of our new student newsletter, 'The Heston Voice', has just been published to an excellent reception from students and staff. As Chief Editor and designer, Lidia Goonatilaka, along with Co-editor, Roshni Barrass, lead a team of Year 13 students and contributors from across the School. 

Lidia describes 'The Heston Voice’ as 'informing students on topics from the miraculous way the immune system fends off infection, to the history behind Black History Month. At its core, its aim is to engage students with a myriad of topics [particularly with things outside the classroom] to increase cultural capital, foster an appreciation of the arts, and encourage a fervour for learning. Ultimately, the team hope to connect to and solidify our School as a community, giving students their own ‘Voice’ and the opportunity to share the things they are passionate about.'

Reader, Jaya Dhillon [7B] commented, 'our School is one of a kind, it buzzes with life, not only in the playground or in the hallways but in the classes too, even maths - believe it or not! If you’re having a bad day, I assure you, the frown that you came to school with will turn into a smile by the end of the day. This newsletter does the same: it brings the school together as one, regardless of heritage, background, or race. In Heston each child really matters.'

With book recommendations, interesting articles and beautiful art work, please enjoy Issue 1 below. 

Sixth Form Open Evening Thursday 18 November 18:00 - 20:00

The 2021 Careers Fair was once again the centrepiece of this term’s activities.  Ms Laing, the School Careers Advisor, worked her usual magic with the support of SPARK.  There were well over twenty organisations representing a wide range of industries.  Some of our industry exhibitors included the Met Police, IPSOS, Glaxo Smith Kline and Mace Construction.  There were also several colleges and universities showcasing what they have to offer for those students approaching transition in Key Stages 4 and 5.

Parents and students came out in their droves, there was an amazing atmosphere throughout the whole evening and students left the event empowered with more knowledge to help them to make plans for their future education and career goals.

On 30 September over a hundred pupils and parents attended Heston's showcase More Able Information Evening. Invited pupils heard an inspiring keynote from an ex-Hestonian, Amrit Ghatora and then went to bespoke sessions tailored to the challenges they will face.

Our keynote speaker, Amrit Ghatora, an Actuary in the City, spoke about educational and professional journey and the need to be the absolute best you can be at every stage of your educational career.

Year 7 and Year 8 students and parents were introduced to the School's literacy strategy by our Literacy Lead, Ms Kyriacou, highlighting the importance of reading. Year 9 and Year 10 students and parents had a session on the science of learning and effective revision by the More Able Lead, Mr Ghataura. Year 11 and Year 12 students attended a carousel of ex-Hestonian speakers currently doing degrees in Medicine, Sciences and Humanities, from prestigious universities such as Cambridge and Imperial.  

 "I found the evening amazingly helpful as it showed me different pathways I could follow. I found the talk on medicine particularly interesting. It was inspiring to see so many successful ex-students. I now know the level of intensity I need to put into my studies to be able to succeed."

Jai Khosla [11G]

The transition from primary school to secondary school can be challenging for some students. This year, the impact of the pandemic has increased this challenge. Students transitioning to secondary school this year may have missed a significant proportion of face-to-face teaching and, therefore, valuable preparation for secondary education. In order to combat these challenges Heston ran a Summer School from 09 - 13 August and 16 - 20 August. The Summer School provided students with face-to-face academic support and wellbeing activities. Academic activities included English, Mathematics and Science while wellbeing sessions involved sports, team building, art and a fun fair at the end of each week. In addition, our new students were given an opportunity to meet some staff and fellow students before starting with us in September.

We were very pleased to welcome 185 of out of our 205 students over the two-week period.  It was a fun-filled two weeks, where the students made a number of new friends and, as a result, the Year 7s have had a smooth transition to secondary school. 

The beginning of the Autumn Term saw the refurbished Canteen open and operate ‘normally’ for our students. The newly decorated area has had a complete makeover with improved ceramic flooring and the removal of dividing walls to help give it a much more spacious feeling. Shorter queues and a much-improved environment all help to enhance the lunchtime experience for our students.