School life: Heathfield pupils have massive maths success

Two weeks ago Heathfield got the news that they were standing at 41st nationally in the great Mathletics numeracy challenge, with an impressive 937 points per pupil on average, firmly within the top 10% of the national table. Year six managed to amass more than 30,000 points.

However, it is never the Heathfield way to rest upon laurels, and the very next week, all records were shattered with the very same top scorer, Lewis Whitehead, amassing a huge 15 678 points individually, and a Heathfield School total of nearly 100,000 points (including Year 6 gaining 52,927 on their own!) All of which elevated the School into the national top thirty!

There is a very strong musical tradition at Heathfield: a team of instrumental teachers under the leadership of specialist music teachers have ensured that enthusiasm for music runs deep at the School.

Ninety per cent of KS2 children play at least one instrument, and Heathfield children have enjoyed success at Grade five in different disciplines over the last three years.

The breadth of the music-making at the School can be seen in the Heathfield Orchestra: instruments ranging from drums through to ‘cellos, and from marimba through to euphonium, performing together.

The Orchestra performed Prokofiev’s Troika at the Christmas concert held at Rishworth School Hall, but children then formed ensembles of individual instruments to entertain a variety of tastes: classical strings, big band brass and rock’n’roll.