Here is the December edition of our Headteacher’s blog, keeping you informed about the life and times of Pinner High School.
Celebration Assemblies
This week, our school community came together for a series of uplifting Celebration Assemblies led by our wonderful Heads of Year. Each assembly was a chance to acknowledge the hard work, positive attitudes, and outstanding achievements of our students throughout the term.
From academic excellence and personal growth to kindness, leadership, and resilience, we celebrated the many ways our students make our school a vibrant and supportive place to learn. Our Heads of Year spoke with pride and enthusiasm, highlighting individual successes and collective accomplishments that truly reflect our school values.
A huge well done to all students who received awards, and to everyone who continues to strive, grow, and support one another each day. Thank you to our brilliant Heads of Year for delivering assemblies that were both inspiring and heart-warming.
Here’s to finishing the term on a high and looking forward to even more successes ahead!
Enterprise Day at Pinner High School
Enterprise Day is always a highlight of the school year, and this edition brought an exceptional sense of creativity and purpose to the hall. Students from across the school worked in teams to design, produce, and market their own products, transforming ideas into reality with impressive confidence.
One stall that immediately stood out was led by a group that had produced beautifully decorated gift bags for the festive season. Each bag was individually designed and carefully prepared in advance, showing real attention to detail.
The team welcomed visitors with enthusiasm and explained their approach with clarity. Their teamwork shone throughout the day, and it was clear how much planning had gone into their success.
Another lively corner of the hall was the sweets stall, which drew a steady stream of customers. Students worked together to organise stock, assemble orders, and serve an ever-growing queue. They managed the busy atmosphere with calm efficiency and good humour. Watching them collaborate so naturally highlighted the value of practical, hands-on experiences that build confidence and encourage initiative.
Events like this remind us of the power of creativity and teamwork in shaping enriching learning experiences. Our students rose to the challenge with enthusiasm, and the quality of their work made the day one to remember.
Winter Concert
Our Winter Concert was a full house, festive event, showcasing excellent musical performances. Students worked diligently to prepare a diverse and enchanting repertoire from modern winter tunes to popular songs that captured the spirit of the season. It was wonderful to see so many of our families come together and support the hard work and dedication of our students.
Art
Year 10 students have created their own ‘Museum in a Box’ photoshoot, by gathering a selection of objects, whilst carefully considering composition within their photographs.
A Level Art
Our new Year 12 A-Level Art group have made an excellent collection of lino prints. By using the printing press and specialist printing inks they made triple layered reduction prints.
A small group of Year 12 Art and Science students volunteered at Roxbourne park this month, supporting Friends of Roxbourne Park in protecting the biodiversity within the area. Students got stuck in, clearing weeds away from newly growing tree saplings and laying down mulch and woodchip to support their growth through the autumn and winter. Students were rewarded for their hard work with an art workshop in which students used a range of mediums to create brilliant visuals inspired by their conservation activity and thoughts of our changing environment.
Mandarin
Former student Sami A, enrolled in our Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) has won the 2025 Engage with China Scholarship to attend two years of Sixth Form at Concord Bilingual School in Shanghai, China. This prestigious scholarship includes two years full tuition and boarding fees, annual international flights and daily Mandarin lessons. As part of the MEP, Sami recently achieved grade 8 at Mandarin GCSE. Over the summer, Sami had the opportunity to give a talk at the Chinese Embassy in London and recently he returned to school to speak with our Year 8 and Year 9 MEP students to share his tips for success at Mandarin GCSE. Sami has now flown to Shanghai to begin his Sixth Form studies. We are extremely proud of his achievements and wish him well.
Miss Hargreaves was a keynote speaker at the Annual Chinese Teaching Conference at UCL, presenting her findings from her doctoral research on how writing produced by Key Stage 3 learners of Mandarin as a foreign language reflects their developing understanding of Mandarin Chinese orthography. She shared highlights from her analysis of Chinese characters written by 72 students learning Mandarin at 7 schools across England.
Senior Maths Kangaroo Challenge Results
Congratulations to Vir P, Jenishan S, Benjamin P and Diyen V who successfully completed the Senior Maths Challenge this half term. All four Sixth Formers answered an intense set of questions and challenges in an incredibly difficult level of national competition. Well done to Benjamin V who received the best score in school and a Bronze certificate for his effort!
At the end of the Summer term, Giorgio B was invited to the UKMT Hanna Neumann Mentoring Scheme – a first for a Pinner High School student to have been offered such an opportunity. Following this, Giorgio recently sat a 4 hour exam for the British Maths Olympiad, with strict national selection criteria. We are yet to receive the results but we have our fingers crossed!
We are especially proud of Year 12 student Giorgio B, who has been invited to join the UKMT Hanna Neumann Mentoring Scheme. This is the first time a student from Pinner High School has been offered this prestigious opportunity.
Congratulations to all involved for their hard work and enthusiasm for mathematics.
Economics
Year 9 students carried out an in-class market research project, designing a survey using a mix of closed and open ended questions. Data was collected from peers, responses analysed using frequency analysis and students presented their findings via pie charts. The activity provided a hands-on learning experience whilst reinforcing cross-curricular links with Maths and Computer Science.
Year 12 students have had an immersive introduction, researching and reporting on the health of the UK economy. They have been exploring how various economic systems; free market, planned and mixed, address the economic problem to meet the needs and wants of societies in different countries; considering policy outcomes of different systems, such as priortising social infrastructure vs austerity. Some of the students will be giving up their free time to support our Year 11 Economics students in their GCSE study, passing on their wisdom and guidance.
Two of our top Year 13 economists, Jaiden L and Akshat D, have led their first weekly Sixth Form Economics Society session and plan to run this throughout this academic year.
Sessions will be based on;
- Risk
- Innovation
- Ecological economics
- Global markets
- UK government policy
Activities include:
- Debates – current economic issues
- A monthly exam clinic – model answer swaps and AO skills
- Economics news discussion
- Research for real world application
Computer Science
Year 9 students have been learning how hardware and software interact to process and store data. Topics such as main memory, secondary storage and the fetch-decode-execute cycle have helped students understand how every device they use functions. Students have begun building programming skills by applying computational thinking, designing flowcharts and algorithms and solving logic-based challenges, all key skills that prepare them for GCSE Computer Science and beyond.
Year 10 GCSE students have focused on Component 2: Computational Thinking. This theme explores how problems can be broken down and solved systematically. Students have practised using pseudocode, structured diagrams, flowcharts, and trace tables to plan solutions, an essential foundation for programming.
During their CPU and Registers drop-down week in October, students revisited key computer architecture concepts, strengthening their understanding of how data moves and is processed. They are now applying these skills in programming development, where they use their knowledge of pseudocode and flowcharts to tackle real coding challenges.
Earlier this term, all Computer Science students took part in the UK Bebras Challenge, a national competition organised by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This 45-minute online challenge introduces students to computational thinking through engaging problem-solving tasks that develop logic and reasoning skills.
Building Digital Awareness and Real-World Skills in Computing
Our KS3 students have been exploring how to use technology safely, responsibly and creatively.
Year 7 began their computing journey with lessons on eSafety and Computational Thinking. They learnt how to manage files, search effectively online and understand the importance of privacy, digital footprints and respectful online behaviour. These lessons help students develop positive digital habits both in and out of school.
Year 8 have taken this further via their Digital Citizen and Cyber Security unit. They have explored how social media and fake news can influence opinions, how to recognise online risks such as phishing and malware and ways to stay secure online. Students are discovering how computers actually work by studying binary, logic gates and the CPU – linking classroom learning to the technology they use every day.
Through these topics, students are developing practical digital skills and an understanding of how computing connects to real-world challenges, preparing them to be confident and responsible users of technology.
Our Year 9 students have been studying computer systems in greater depth, learning how hardware and software interact to process and store data. Topics such as main memory, secondary storage, system software and the fetch-decode-execute cycle have helped students understand how every device they use functions.
They have also started building programming skills by applying computational thinking, designing flowcharts and algorithms and solving logic-based challenges – key skills that prepare them for GCSE Computer Science and beyond.
Our Year 10 GCSE students have been focusing on Component 2: Computational Thinking, exploring how problems can be broken down and solved systematically. They have practised using pseudocode, structured diagrams, flowcharts and trace tables to plan solutions, an essential foundation for programming.
During their CPU and Registers drop-down week, students revisited key computer architecture concepts, strengthening their understanding of how data moves and is processed. They are now applying these skills in programming development, where they use their knowledge of pseudocode and flowcharts to tackle real coding challenges.
After half term, all Computer Science students will take part in the UK Bebras Challenge, a national competition organised by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This 45 minute online challenge introduces students to computational thinking through engaging problem-solving tasks that develop logic and reasoning skills.
Drama
Year 12 completed their first full performance in front of a live audience as part of their Component 1 study. The group explored Frantic Assembly’s text ‘Things I Know To Be True’ as a stimulus and devised a moving piece involving physical theatre, soundscape, lifts, round-by-through and many more notable techniques.
Well done to our Sixth Formers! 
The same students visited the Lyric Theatre to see Dracula, a reimagined version of the classic tale. Their study of practitioner Katie Mitchell lends itself well to this production as the performance involves a full female cast with Dracula, the central character, omitted from the performance! A Level Drama students will begin to analyse and evaluate their experience as part of Section A of their Component 3 exam.
Year 9 – Year 13 Drama, History, Government and Politics and Music students attended Lin Manuel Miranada’s mesmerising Hamilton as part of a cross-curricular project. The play explores the ‘forgotten founding father’ and his contribution to America’s independence throughout 1700 – 1800.
Year 9 Drama students have begun working with the Andrew Payne text ‘Mugged’, using naturalism as a tool to navigate the story of knife crime.
Year 8 students Kiani P and Gyan J have been appointed Drama Ambassadors for KS3, with Nicola F and Arjun P for KS5.
Auditions
This year’s school production will be High School Musical Jr. We were delighted to see over 100 students attend auditions – all hoping for a chance to perform in the annual production. Save the date – Monday 25 May 2026!
Clubs
Students have started participating in a wide range of clubs this half term and they have been delighted with their choices such as; Junior Maths Challenge, STEM, British Sign Language, Musical Theatre, Film and Photography, the Bronze Crest Award and Classics.
English
Many of our students have entered the ‘I have a dream’ poetry competition, run by Young Writers. We wish them luck!
Our English Prefects led a fantastic Poetry Slam for October National Poetry Day. Performers from Years 7, 8 and 9 shared their own poetry, as well as their favourite poems by published authors.
Year 13 students attended the English in Action Conference, with speakers including university lecturers, a theatre director and poet laureate Simon Armitage
Year 13 students visited a local school to attend a workshop on Unseen Social and Political Protest writing as part of their exam preparation.
Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge
Sixty of our Year 10 students spent the day with a trainer from the Jack Petchey Foundation learning how to create and deliver effective speeches. This was an excellent opportunity for students to receive advance preparation for their Spoken Language Assessment which will be held at the end of this year. It also means we will have 5 students go through to our assembly final which will be held in January 2026. The winners will go on to our regional final. Last year we secured 2nd and 3rd place so it’s our turn to bring victory to the halls of Pinner High! Some amazing speeches were heard with topics ranging from young people’s mental health, The Scouts, and sexism in schools. Our students have amazing thoughts and opinions and it was our pleasure to hold space for them in a safe forum where they could find a voice.
Science
Our Year 7 scientists have been buzzing with curiosity this term as they launched into their self-designed practical investigations for the CREST Award Heads Challenge. The lab was alive with imaginative questions and hands-on discovery – from testing which exercises send heart rates soaring, to exploring how different ramp surfaces change the speed of a racing toy car. Their creativity, teamwork and scientific thinking made for an inspiring showcase of young talent in action.
A group of Year 12 Art and Science students volunteered their services to support Friends of Roxbourne Park in protecting the biodiversity within the area. Students got stuck in, clearing weeds and laying down mulch and woodchip to support the growth of newly planted tree saplings. Their hard work was rewarded with an art workshop. Students used a range of mediums to create visuals inspired by their conservation activity and thoughts of our changing environment.
DT
Year 10 recently took part in the Amazon Future Engineers Virtual Careers Tour, providing a fascinating insight into what happens behind the scenes at an Amazon Fulfilment Centre. The interactive session allowed students to explore the technology and processes that keep the operation running smoothly, whilst participating in live quizzes via Kahoot to test their knowledge along the way. It was an engaging and inspiring experience that broadened their understanding of real-world engineering and design in action.
Our A Level Design students visited the V&A Museum to gather primary research for their coursework projects – Year 12 for their Chair Project and Year 13 for Component 1 exam. Students sketched, photographed and analysed key pieces of design, exploring form, structure, materials and cultural influences to inspire their own creative development.
A highlight of the visit was discovering the work of Japanese artist Ryunosuke Okazaki, whose striking JOMONJOMON garment series is rooted in a message of peace. Born in Hiroshima, Okazaki draws inspiration from ancient Jōmon pottery, transforming its spiritual, sculptural forms into futuristic fashion. His work provided a powerful example of how personal history and cultural heritage can shape design thinking – a valuable insight for our students as they develop their own ideas.
EAL
We welcomed many new EAL students this term who are settling down very well and are making good progress across their subjects.
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Year 7 Bread Roll Success! Students have honed their break roll making technique with some very impressive results
SEN
Year 11 Harrow College Careers Trip
Trip to Uxbridge College (Weald Campus) where students were provided with an insight into college life and some of the courses the college offers. We got to see some hands-on lessons and the support areas the college offers SEND students.
Year 9 King’s Trust Obstacle Course
As part of the King’s Trust qualification, students designed their own obstacle courses and invited staff and Sixth Formers to take part in the challenge. Students were required to use their skills of teamwork, leadership and problem solving to develop their resilience.
Year 7 Board Game Social Trip
With over 850 games to choose from, students spent an afternoon exploring new games and working in teams.
Transport Club
Led by some of our dedicated Year 11 cohort, students were encouraged to share their passion for all things transport.
HAP & Oxford Inspire Programme
This term we have had some fantastic opportunities for our high achieving students to really shine and push themselves. In English, students got involved in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge, Poetry Slams for World Book Day and Online Reading Challenges – all great ways to boost their speaking, creativity and love for books.
In Maths, one student was invited to a summer school after ranking among the top participants in the national Maths Challenge – a huge achievement!
Our Oxford Inspire Programme in Years 9-11 has continued with students exploring topics such as how guilt is determined in psychology and five students were invited to a Summer School at Oxford University!
In Mandarin a talk was organised with our alumni who are studying Mandarin at university to provide our students an insight into what studying languages at a higher level is like.
We also organized study days at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge for our Sixth Form students, providing them with a taste of university life and a chance to explore their academic interests. It has been a busy term and our HAP students have really made the most of these exciting opportunities.
History
Black History Month assemblies and Form time activities led by Head Students
EPQ fair – History related EPQ – Lady Jane Grey by Lydia Fennel
Music
Ensemble Club: Year 7 – Year 13, weekly on a Tuesday
Dance Club: Year 7 – Year 13, weekly Tuesday
Choir Club: weekly Wednesday
Staff Choir: weekly Monday
Open day – piano performances, rock band and orchestra showcasing student talent.
Harrow Music Service Festival – upcoming dates
Guitar Festival: 4, 5 February
School Choir Showcase: 2, 3, 4 March
String Festival: 18, 19 March
Percussion Workshop: 30 April
Recorder Festival: 16 June
Song Festival: 9, 10, 11 June
World Festival: 25 June
SING SING SING! w/c 29 June
HMS Ensemble: 9 July
Year 9 students who achieved Grade 4 or Grade 5 in all subjects for ATL (Attitude to Learning) on their 9.1 report were rewarded with a day out bowling.
Library
The Year 7 – 12 Reading Mentoring intervention began this term, with students in Year 12 being trained to support in mentoring our younger students with reading. The mentoring takes place during Form time in the Library and it has been lovely to see the positive engagement and enthusiasm from mentors and mentees alike!
