Open Evenings 17 & 18 June 2026

We are pleased to invite prospective students currently in Year 5, together with their parents, to attend one of our Open Evenings. The evenings offer a valuable opportunity to explore our
excellent facilities, meet our specialist staff, and gain a real insight into life at Heckmondwike Grammar School.

There will be presentations from the Headteacher, along with informative talks outlining our admissions process. Visitors will also have the chance to tour the school, meet current students and experience the vibrant learning environment we provide.

Follow the links below to book a Headteacher Presentation or Admissions Talk.

Wednesday 17 June 2026 – Book a Headteacher Presentation & Admissions Talk
Thursday 18 June 2026 – Book a Headteacher Presentation & Admissions Talk

At HGS, we strive to show how Mathematics translates into real-world careers. This year, several students entered the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications annual poster competition. The 2026 theme was Maths in Medicine and Health, challenging students to illustrate the vital role maths plays in healthcare.

We are delighted to announce that two of our students were recognised for their exceptional work:

  • Nikitha Chelladurai (Year 8): Winner of the Year 7–9 category for her fascinating poster on Maths in Gynaecology. Nikitha received a prize of £100.
  • Navya Lingolu (Year 10): Awarded “Highly Commended” in the Year 10–13 category for her project, Can Maths Predict an Outbreak? Navya received a prize of £30.

Congratulations to both students on this fantastic national achievement!

Mathematical Education on Merseyside (MEM) has been running their “Challenge” take-home competition in February half term since the late 1970s. This competition attracts about 2,000 entries annually. Another competition, the Open Challenge for students aged 18 and under, is organised by the Liverpool Mathematical Society (LivMS) which also runs over half term.

The challenges this year were all about “flight” and students were asked to solve worded mathematics problems and write out neat solutions to these problems. Several of our students entered this year and we have three winners who travelled to Liverpool to collect their prizes last week. Hasana Garada in year 7 has won a Merit prize in the MEM Challenge. Simrik Bohara in year 12 has won a Highly Commended prize and Harshith Mavuri in year 12 has won Third prize in the Open Challenge.

Congratulations to these students on their success!

Our Business Pathway students recently had the exciting opportunity to take part in the Sustainable Business Challenge at Leeds University, following months of preparation back in school. Earlier this year, students were introduced to sustainable business models and, working in small teams, began developing thoughtful analyses of existing companies, focusing on how they could operate more sustainably.

At the event, students presented their ideas to a panel of judges, demonstrating not only their subject knowledge but also their confidence, professionalism, and ability to respond thoughtfully to challenging questions. Their preparation was clear to see, and they represented the school exceptionally well, leaving a lasting impression on the judges.

The day itself was highly interactive and enriching. A standout feature was the “Green Careers Carousel,” where students engaged with professionals from a range of sustainability-focused roles. Having prepared questions in advance, they rotated between speakers, gaining valuable insight into diverse career pathways. Many students reflected on how this experience broadened their understanding of future opportunities within sustainability and business.

In addition to the challenge, students enjoyed a campus tour and took part in a taster session in environmental economics, offering a glimpse into university-level study and life beyond sixth form.

Experiences like this are at the heart of our Sixth Form Pathway Programme, designed to give students real-world exposure, develop key skills, and inspire ambition. We are incredibly proud of our students for their enthusiasm and achievements, and we look forward to seeing how they continue to develop as future leaders in sustainable business.

The RSC chemistry Olympiad exam was undertaken by our chemists again this year, this exam is for the more able chemistry students in year 13, however after the success of last yearit was opened up to promising year 12 students who wanted to enter too. This is a very demanding Chemistry exam which takes curriculum content a step further and looks at real world examples and scientific problems. Due to time constraints this year the students haven’t had as much time to prepare so the results are a testament to their ability!

65 Students 5 x year 13 student and 60 x year 12 A-level chemistry students attended the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad exam that took place on Wednesday 28th January 2026 within school led by Mrs Noble.

All of the students will be awarded a certificate with a significant number achieving silver and gold awards.  The exam this year was out of 84 and to achieve a bronze this year the candidates required a score of 13 for bronze, 23 for silver and 38 for gold.

In total we have 33 x Bronze, 15 x Silver, 2 x Gold and15 participation certificates. These results are outstanding, especially for our Year 12 students, who have not yet covered much of the course material needed for the Olympiad exam.

Name Year group Award
Abdullah Riswaan 12 Bronze
Adam Badat 12 Silver
Afeefah Laher 12 Bronze
Ameen Mohammed 12 Bronze
Ananya Chinchalkar 12 Silver
Behram Khan 12 Bronze
Benjamin Walshaw 12 Silver
Deepak Anand 12 Participation
Eisa Mushtaq 12 Participation
Emily Zheng 12 Bronze
Eric Ani 12 Bronze
Hamza Tarar 12 Participation
Haris Mohammed 12 Participation
Harrison Carter 12 Bronze
Hiba Khawar 12 Silver
Hiya Das 12 Bronze
Husaina Lokhanwala 12 Silver
Irtiqa Khan 12 Bronze
Jasmine Jacob 12 Participation
Kaif Younis 12 Silver
Kaif Younis-Butt 12 Bronze
Kevin Zhou 12 Bronze
Leanne Lai 12 Bronze
Maahi Patel 12 Participation
Mariah Nauman 12 Bronze
Mesam Hussain 12 Silver
Methuli Perera Kuranage 12 Bronze
Miran Almass 12 Bronze
Miraya Vyas 12 Participation
Mischa Mistry 12 Silver
Mohamed Aboubakar 12 Participation
Mohammed Alasho 12 Silver
Mohammed Jamaluddin 12 Participation
Muhammad Ahmed 12 Bronze
Muhammad Talal Khan 12 Bronze
Nithursha Logeswaran 12 Bronze
Oliver Itte 12 Bronze
Oliver Zhang 12 Bronze
Phoebe Alexander 12 Bronze
Praise Nduka-Obiora 12 Silver
Praneel Devesh Anand 12 Bronze
Rahim Chaudhry 12 Participation
Rhea Lahiri 12 Participation
Rhiona Lahiri 12 Bronze
Rishi Patel 12 Bronze
Riyad Mahmood 12 Bronze
Ruhika Deb 12 Bronze
Sarinah Hussain 12 Bronze
Sava Mohammed 12 Participation
Shreya Patel 12 Silver
Siddartha Mondal 12 Silver
Simran Shakoor 12 Participation
Singher Wong 12 Bronze
Sufiyaan Shahzad 12 Bronze
Tara Sah 12 Silver
Teygh Singh 12 Bronze
Tue Nguyen 12 Bronze
Xuan Luo 12 Participation
Zaara Shahari 12 Participation
Zain-ul-abidin Patel 12 Bronze
Alec Manby 13 Silver
Ananya Tantry 13 Silver
Caitlin Tolan 13 Gold
Catherine Fan 13 Gold
Eva Carey 13 Bronze

 

As ever, HGS will be holding a non-uniform day (optional wear-red theme) in an attempt to raise as much money as possible for Comic Relief.

Donations for the privilege of wearing non-uniform should be made via ParentPay. Any additional donations can be made via the schools donations page.

This Red Nose Day, let’s come together to raise some smiles, and money, to help people through the toughest times of their lives. Thank you to everyone for supporting this great cause.

 

 

The UKMT Team Maths Challenge (TMC) is a competition between nearly 700 schools, each bringing a team of four students to solve a variety of mathematical problems. The regional final of the TMC consists of four rounds:

Group Round
All four students work together on some mathematical problems. Teamwork and time management play a big role in this round.
Crossnumber
Like a crossword, but with numbers! Two students get the across clues and two get the down clues. Strategy and perseverance are put to the test as the aim is to fill in the grid without knowing the other pair’s clues or talking to them.
Shuttle
In pairs, students answer 16 questions. One answer becomes part of the next question for the other pair, so accuracy is crucial here otherwise it can become a wild goose chase.
Relay
In pairs, students answer 30 questions. When a question is answered, students run to their marker for checking and, if correct, they get the next question to hand to the other two students. Speed, both mathematically and physically, play a part in this round.

 

In 2024, HGS won the regional final by scoring 226 out of 236 points. Last year, HGS improved on that by scoring full marks, securing first place in the regional final, and then continued to place joint fourth in the national finals. This year’s team clearly have some big shoes to fill!

 

Out of 80 students who took part in the TMC try-outs this year, Aarush Maniyar (9P2), Sienna Xu (8H1), Abdul Cheema (8B2) and Yusuf Shah (9C1) showed remarkable skill and were selected to represent HGS. On Thursday 12th February, they spent all day competing at Lawnswood School. Once again HGS scored full marks (and finishing the relay round with half the time remaining, I might add), securing first place and an invitation to the national finals in Manchester in June.
The team performed exceptionally well and continued to raise the bar. Congratulations to all four of them! They certainly got the attention of other students and staff at the event. The team are no doubt planning their next steps with the idea of securing a national first place. We wish them the best of luck!

In the Autumn term, 64 players competed in the Tiny Tournament – a knockout tournament played on a tiny 5×5 chess board. Mr Tipler and Yusuf Shah reached the semi-finals but were knocked out by Soham Gaikwad and Dexter Cheetham, respectively. After some dedicated study of 5×5 strategies, Dexter secured overall victory and was awarded a tiny trophy. Congratulations, Dexter!

On Thursday 5 February, HGS travelled over to Westborough High School for our chess clubs to compete against each other. Both teams showed good proficiency in chess, but HGS won the vast majority of games in the first two rapid rounds. Interestingly, in the final blitz round where each player had only 5 minutes on the clock, both teams seemed evenly matched and won roughly the same number of games. Take from that what you will! Well done to Dexter Cheetham, Hamza Ali Ali, Mohammad Bin Gulzar, Vedant Upasani, Mudra Bharade, Pratham Khanna, Aaradhya Rane, Soham Gaikwad, Reyansh Saxena, Muhammed Bhayat, Isaac Wong, Sree Harsha Veerepalli, Ethan Khush Barai and Nirvaan Mahajan – You all represented HGS brilliantly. Some of the HGS players were new to chess competitions, so this was hopefully a nice introduction for them.
A lot of players come to Chess Club sessions to play a few casual games, but there is a growing number of students taking chess more seriously by studying openings and tactics as well as regularly completing puzzles and drills. To support students with their development in chess, Chess Club now has a small collection of books for students to use and there has been some discussion around masterclass sessions. To keep up to date with Chess Club tournaments, events and whatnot, students can join the Microsoft Team page with code zefc3k6.

This significant milestone reflects our commitment to high-quality financial education and preparing students for life beyond the classroom, and follows a rigorous year-long process that began in summer 2024. As part of the accreditation, our school will benefit from a three-year programme including a bursary, expert consultancy, staff training, and access to Young Enterprise’s extensive network and resources. These tools will enable us to embed financial education deeply and sustainably across our curriculum.

Why Financial Education Matters

Financial literacy is more than just numbers—it’s about empowering young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed decisions and achieve their goals. In today’s world, where financial choices shape futures, this education is essential for wellbeing and success.

Our vision is clear: to provide high-quality learning opportunities that empower students to become financially healthy adults who make a positive contribution to society.

Our school values of respect, responsibilities and excellence align closely with the framework objectives: Respect for differences in circumstances, choices and decisions; Understanding consumer responsibilities as well as responsible decision making; Excellence in terms of striving for excellent financial health for individuals, communities and the economy.

What This Means for Our Students

Through the Financial Education Planning Framework, endorsed by the Money and Pensions Service, students will explore four key areas:

  • Managing Money: Budgeting, saving, borrowing
  • Becoming a Critical Consumer: Understanding financial products and rights
  • Managing Risks and Emotions: Fraud prevention, financial resilience
  • Understanding Money’s Role in Life: Work, economy, life choices

Learning will be delivered through Mathematics, Business, PSHCE, and applied experiences such as Young Enterprise challenges, guest speakers, and real-world projects. Diversity and inclusion will remain central to our approach, ensuring every student benefits from this vital education.

Looking Ahead

Our three-year accreditation period provides a strategic opportunity to embed financial education across the curriculum and beyond. Throughout this cycle, we will continue to integrate high-quality, applied learning experiences that strengthen students’ financial literacy and prepare them for real-world decision-making.

A huge well done and thank you to Mrs Harker, our Business, Economics & Finance Pathway Leader, who has put lots of hard work and effort into leading this initiative.