Open evening for Year 7 families on 6 November
Every department open from 17:30, with talks by the headteacher at 18:00 and 19:00 (sample).
Secondary school and sixth form in Springfield, for ages 11 to 18
Hillcrest (sample) teaches 1,100 students in Years 7 to 13. This is a real-looking week for a Year 10 student: six lessons a day, lunch together, clubs after the bell.
Year 10, a typical week (sample)
Wednesday, period 3 is happening now
Period
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
18:55
MaMaths
JK, M3
EnEnglish
ST, E7
PhPhysics
AO, S1
BiBiology
DM, S2
MaMaths
JK, M3
29:45
EnEnglish
ST, E7
BiBiology
DM, S2
MaMaths
JK, M3
FrFrench
LM, L1
PhPhysics
AO, S1
10:35 Break
310:55
ChChemistry
RP, S4
MaMaths
JK, M3
ChChemistry
RP, S4
EnEnglish
ST, E7
HiHistory
AB, H2
411:45
HiHistory
AB, H2
ArArt
NV, A1
EnEnglish
ST, E7
MaMaths
JK, M3
EnEnglish
ST, E7
12:35 Lunch, clubs and the library
513:20
FrFrench
LM, L1
GeGeography
CW, H4
HiHistory
AB, H2
ArArt
NV, A1
CsComputing
TW, C2
614:10
PePE
GH, Hall
CsComputing
TW, C2
FrFrench
LM, L1
ArArt
NV, A1
ReReligion and ethics
PS, H1
Maths and computing
English and languages
Sciences
Humanities
Arts, technology and PE
Each lesson shows the subject, the teacher’s initials and the room: Ch, RP, S4 is chemistry with Mr Patel (sample) in science lab 4.
The school day
Gates open at 8:15 and the day starts with twenty minutes in tutor groups. Lessons are fifty minutes long, so nobody sits still for too long.
- Breakfast club from 7:45 in the canteen, free for every year group (sample)
- Hot lunch every day for $2.60, paid by card or the parent app (example prices)
- School buses 7, 12 and 31 stop at Gate A at 8:25 and 15:10
- Phones stay switched off in bags from the first bell to the last
Bell times
Registration with your form tutor
8:40
Period 1
8:55
Period 2
9:45
Break
10:35
Period 3
10:55
Period 4
11:45
Lunch
12:35
Period 5
13:20
Period 6
14:10
End of the school day
15:00
Period 7: clubs and sport
15:15–16:15
The highlighted row is the lesson in the timetable above.
Subjects in Years 7 to 9
Every student takes the same broad course for three years before choosing options. The colours match the timetable.
En
English
4 lessons a week
Ma
Maths
4 lessons a week
Bi
Biology
Science, 4 a week
Fr
French
2 lessons a week
Hi
History
2 lessons a week
Ge
Geography
2 lessons a week
Re
Religion and ethics
1 lesson a week
Cs
Computing
1 lesson a week
Ar
Art
1 lesson a week
Mu
Music
1 lesson a week
Dt
Design and technology
1 lesson a week
Pe
PE
2 lessons a week
Lessons a week (sample). Spanish starts in Year 8; drama is taught inside English.
Three stages, seven years
Each stage has its own head of year team, its own building wing and its own start time for lunch.
789
Lower school
Years 7 to 9, ages 11 to 14
A broad course, a form tutor who stays with the group, and a buddy from Year 10 in the first term.
1011
Upper school
Years 10 and 11, ages 14 to 16
Core subjects plus four options chosen in Year 9, ending with national exams in the summer of Year 11.
1213
Sixth form
Years 12 and 13, ages 16 to 18
Three A-levels or a vocational course, study periods in the library and help with what comes next.
A sixth form on the same site
Stay on after Year 11 or join from another school. Groups are small, teachers know you already, and the sixth-form centre has its own study room and kitchen.
Courses
24 A-levels, 6 vocational
Usual entry
Grade 6 in the subjects you want to study
Five passes at grade 4
Teaching groups
8 to 18 students
Applications close
31 January
Courses and entry requirements (sample).
Period 7: clubs and sport
When the bell goes at 15:00, the school stays open. Clubs run from 15:15 to 16:15 and the late bus leaves at 16:25.
Mon
Football, Years 7 to 9
Field
Debating society
E7
Homework club
Library
Tue
Robotics
C2
Choir
A3
Homework club
Library
Wed
Netball and basketball
Hall
Science club
S2
Homework club
Library
Thu
School play rehearsal
Studio
Coding club
C2
Spanish film club
L2
Fri
Athletics
Track
Orchestra
A3
Chess
M3
Clubs are free unless a coach is hired; this term’s list (sample).
Visit us first
Thu 6 Nov
Open evening for Year 7, September entry
Talks by the headteacher at 18:00 and 19:00, every department open
17:30–20:00
Thu 20 Nov
Sixth form open evening
Meet subject teachers and current Year 13 students
18:00–20:00
Tue and Thu
School tours in term time
Small groups, led by sixth-form students
9:15–10:30
Dates for this year’s admissions round (sample).
Joining Year 7
- Visit. Come to an open evening or a tour in September or October.
- Apply. Name us on the council’s secondary application by 31 October (sample).
- Offer. Places are offered on 1 March; accept within two weeks.
- Meet us. Two induction days in July and a summer barbecue for families.
- Start. Year 7 starts a day before everyone else in September.
News from school
Two science labs reopen after the summer refit
New benches, fume cupboards and a prep room for labs S3 and S4 (sample).
Sports day: results from the track
Four school records and a relay decided on the last leg (sample).
Come and see a school day
Tours run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in term time, led by two sixth-form students. You see lessons in progress, the labs, the library and lunch.