Children always look up to their parents and want to get involved with what they are doing. So, when Jamie Dew, Head of DT at Highfield and Brookham Schools, said he was going to spend his Easter holidays making PPE visors his children couldn’t wait to help. Ava age 5 and Daxx age 2, who are both pupils at Highfield and Brookham Schools, enjoyed spending time in the DT suite helping their daddy make something that was going to help the amazing doctors and nurses.

Three sisters from East Meon, Hampshire, have taken on a lockdown challenge to raise money for the Hampshire Medical Fund’s ‘Dig Deep Campaign’. Daisy age 13, Flora age 11 and Betty age 8, who are past and current pupils at ​Highfield and Brookham Schools, challenged themselves to stay in their dining room for 24 hours without any screens – iPads, phones, TV – and only allowed themselves to leave the room to use the loo. They brought their bedding into the room as well as games, books and toys to keep themselves entertained.

On Monday 6th April​ Highfield and Brookham Schools launched a new movement #TogetherWeCare. Each week all of their pupils are being challenged to take part in an activity which can be completed from home. These ‘acts of kindness’ activities are designed to help the children show their love and support to their families and the local community.

On Friday 27th March Sarah Baird, Head of Drama at ​Highfield and Brookham Schools, received an email to inform her that all 45 pupils that had taken a LAMDA exam in the Spring Term had received either a pass with Merit or pass with Distinction. This is the second year in a row that all results were a Merit or Distinction.

We must look forward positively and consider how we best move our school communities into the unchartered waters of virtual learning. It is this new phase of the educational journey that Phillip Evitt, headmaster Highfield School, and Sophie Baber, headteacher Brookham School, want to reflect on here.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Wednesday 18th March, we spoke to Phillip Evitt, Headmaster at Highfield School to find out about his advice to parents at this unpredictable time.