Would you like to play an instrument or learn to sing?

I would like to bring to your attention the availability of instrumental/voice lessons within the Music department from September. Making music can be an incredibly rewarding activity whether it is personal satisfaction and pride in mastering a new skill, or the thrill of performing in front of friends and family in a major concert venue. As well as learning a specific skill which can remain for life it can also enrich and support many other aspects of learning. The mounting scientific evidence repeatedly confirms that the study of music has measurable and lasting positive effects for health, overall growth and development and social skills as well as academic benefits. Musical training positively affects the following areas:

• self-discipline
• concentration
• problem-solving
• learning strategies
• builds working habits
• creativity
• self-confidence & self-esteem
• coordination

There are many instruments to choose from and such a wide range of musical styles from different times and places – everyone can enjoy the experience of playing a musical instrument. Music is an important part of many people’s lives and the experience of learning a musical instrument will help develop a deeper understanding and lifelong love of music.

Instrumental/voice lessons are timetabled within the school day on a rotational basis. We have the following visiting peripatetic teachers and lessons available:

• Singing – Mr Hall – All styles (male/female)
• Guitar – Mr Shaw – Classical, Acoustic or Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar
• Woodwind – Mr Russell – Flute, Clarinet, Saxophones
• Brass – Mr Marchesi – Trumpet, Cornet, Horn, Trombone (Tuba on request)
• Percussion – Miss Rosborough – Drum Kit and all Tuned Percussion
• Strings – Mrs Preece – Violin, Viola, Cello
• Recorder – Mrs Preece – All levels
• Piano – Mr Hall or Mrs Preece – Piano or keyboards

We have a strong extra-curricular programme in music at Heckmondwike for all our students to participate in. Ensembles include:

• Concert Band (for instrumentalists of approximately grade 2 and above)
• Junior Band (for beginner and junior instrumentalists)
• Senior Choir (open to all students in years 9-13)
• Junior Choir (open to all students in years 7-8)
• String Group (for all string players of all abilities)
• Guitar Group (for all guitarists, as directed by our guitar teacher)
• Soul Band (by invitation or audition)

In recent years our bands and choirs have toured Florida and Paris as well as frequent visits to London. All groups are regularly featured in performances both in school and out, including festival performances such as Music for Youth and the Marsden Jazz Festival. Our house music competition provides a showcase for musicians of all abilities.

There are also numerous drama groups and productions taking place, including our annual full school production (last year was ‘We Will Rock’), and some of these will specifically involve our musicians. If you are interested in your child having lessons in school please complete an application form and return it to the business office as soon as possible to guarantee allocation of a place.

NB – Current pupils who received lessons last year and wish to continue with them also need to complete and submit a new form to ensure lessons continue in September. Payment must be made each term before lessons are timetabled.

If you wish to under take music lessons please complete the form and hand it in to Mr Cole.

****CAR BOOT SALE at HECKMONDWIKE GRAMMAR SCHOOL****

The Friends of HGS have organised a car boot sale to take place at the school on Sunday 9th September. The event will be held on the school MUGA car park (beside the tennis courts). For more information and to book a pitch, please click here

Students are once again to be congratulated for their outstanding successes at GCSE. As well as some overall excellent results for the school, with all of our Year 11 students securing at least five good GCSE grades, there were also 72% of our students who achieved five or more 9-7 or A*/A grades. In addition 52% of students secured an impressive eight or more 9-7 or A*/A grades. Our headline figure of 9-7 or A*/A grades is 61%, which is very pleasing.

In addition to these successes, there are also some exceptional individual stories: Jennifer Hoang, Qasim Noor and Jenny Zhang each achieved an amazing eleven GCSEs at grade 9 or A with Saffron Bond, Naomi Jones, Aaisha Kara, Isabella Mencattelli, Ethan Roy and Adhithya Saravanan all achieving eleven GCSEs at grade 8, 9 or A*.

Gaining ten GCSEs at grade 8, 9 or A* were Oscar Birch, Noor Fatima, Louis Gent-Larroche, Zoya Gul, May Hussain, Basma Khan, Hashim Khan, Zafeerah Ravat, Zohra Sakharkar and Arnav Singh.

These excellent results do not just happen automatically. They are evidence of the exceptional commitment and determination of Heckmondwike’s students who received outstanding support from the dedicated staff and hugely supportive parents.

Congratulations to one and all.

Some impressive overall statistics include:

• 55 students with ten or more 9-7 and A*/A grades
• 84 students with eight or more 9-7 and A*/A grades
• 117 students with five or more 9-7 and A*/A grades

Congratulations to all our students on achieving outstanding A level results again this year. As always the profile of our grades shows a very strong bias towards the upper range of grades. Excluding general studies, 76% of results were at grade C or better.

There were 243 A and A* grades altogether, including thirty-eight students that achieved three or more grade A* or A passes while eight students achieved a remarkable four or more A* or A grades. Extra special mentions go to Nitish Bala, Alim Kapdi and Basim Khajwal, all of whom achieved an incredible four A* grades, and also to Matthew Bullock, Lucy Chen, Kate Lee, Francesca Mencattelli and Jamie Stirling, all of whom gained three A* grades each.

These superb results reflect the hard work and dedication of our students and staff, and will enable the students to take their next steps with confidence. The outcomes in terms of students being placed at universities of their choice are exceptionally good this year.

A-Level Results are published on Thursday 16th August 2018. Year 13 students remember Track will update at 08:00am. Clearing support will be available from 08:00 (results available from 09:00). In the meantime, familiarise yourself with this helpful Ucas Guide. Students can collect their results from the Sports Hall, accessed via Main Reception from 9:00am.

Good Luck everyone!

Following the Year 10 Exam Ready Evening on 10th July, please see below the booklet and presentation available to download.

• Exam Ready Booklet
• Exam Ready Presentation

We are delighted to announce that our careers department has been awarded the Quality in Careers Standard, the national quality award for CEIAG. The standard is aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks (the areas that are viewed as essential to good careers guidance) and statutory guidance, so the award is an excellent indicator that our students are receiving CEIAG of the highest quality.

To gain this award, we had to provide substantial evidence against all nine criteria and be reviewed through a full-day assessment visit, which included lesson observations, interviews with the careers team and conversations with staff, senior leaders, governors, students and parents. The assessor’s report was then verified by a national steering group.

The final report was highly complementary of the school’s provision, while also supporting us in identifying strategies to improve even further over the next three years of our review cycle.

The Year 11 Prom will take place on Friday 29th June 2018. The Prom Venue is the Executive Suite, Leeds United Football Club, Elland Road, Leeds. Please could students be dropped off and collected from the East Stand Reception, parking in Stadium Way Car park

The timings of the evening are as follows:

7 – 7.30pm – Arrive/photos
8pm – Meal
9pm – Disco/photos
10pm – Awards
10.30 – Disco/photos
11.30 End – Please ensure that students are collected by 11.30pm

The menu

Tomato, yellow and lemongrass soup
Halal breast of chicken, sweet chilli, parcel of mange tout and parmentier potatoes.
Veggie alternatives
Followed by chocolate fudge cake.

Soft drinks will also be available to purchase from the bar.

Professional photos (individual and group) can be purchased on the night, £10 for a large mounted print, buy 2 get 1 free.

We are so proud to see we topped the Huddersfield Examiner’s Real Schools Guide 2018!

This was the sixth edition of the most comprehensive guide ever to state-funded secondaries in the local area, and Heckmondwike Grammar School was crowned the best in Kirklees for this year. View the full article here. (more…)

From Monday 25th June 2018, work will commence to install a new sewer on High Street. The work is set to take place in two phases and is expected to take 14 weeks to complete. The first phase of the scheme will start on Monday 25th June on High Street on the tarmacked area by the flats on Church Lane. Church Lane will therefore be closed at the junction with High Street. This closure will be in place 24 hours a day, traffic diversions will be via Church Street to Market Street. This will remain in place until the end of August.

The second phase is due to commence on 23rd July and is expected to take 6 weeks to complete. This work will be on High Street between Church Lane and North Street. Temporary traffic lights will be installed on High Street between Church Lane and North Street and will be in operation for 24 hours a day.

Please note that these works are likely to have an impact on traffic flows in the area, please allow more time for your journey.