Year 11 Prom Photos

International Charity Day 10 July 2010

World Cup fever gripped pupils from all sectors of the school when we held our very own ‘Hill House World Cup’ festival. The aim was to raise money for our link school, Havilah Academy, in the central region of Ghana. Hill House decided to help after learning about their lack of facilities and many of the children being unable to afford to buy even a pencil.

Using the World Cup format over 400 children, and a few competitive Mums from a Friends XI, played games throughout the day, creating a totally international atmosphere with colourful strips and flags of the various nations. There were also many enthusiastic cheer leaders. Year 5 and 6 Master House pupils entertained us once again with their fantastic Haka and the guitar group played football related tunes throughout the afternoon.

After the initial knockout stages the whole school sat down to watch the final between Ghana, Year 7, and Mexico Year 8. Like all good World cup games this was decided in a penalty shoot out after a score of 2-2. Mexico held their nerve and they are now the Hill House World Cup Champions with a final score of 5-4.

Special thanks must go to Doncaster Rovers football in the community group who worked so well with all of the children during the day. They ran many fun events including a Penalty Shoot-Out, a Rooney Dribble, Lampard’s Free Kick and other football skill sessions.

The total raised on the day was £850.00, a big thank you to every child who contributed and especially to the number of pupils who brought in their own pocket money. One of our pupils from the Lower School even donated £10.00 out of her ‘Tooth Fairy’ jar!

A special mention must go to everyone in the PE department for their hard work in coordinating the whole day.

To view photographs of the day please click here.

Year 8 at Club Corezze, France

The pupils of Year 8 spent a week in France at Club Corezze.

Please click here for more information.

Bloodhound SSC

Richard Noble, the international land-speed record champion, was at Hill House School, Doncaster, on June 26 to talk to children about the attempt he is making to break the 1000-mph barrier with the Bloodhound SSC supersonic car.

The children were joined by enthusiasts across Yorkshire and further afield, including the Doncaster Classic Car Club, Harley Davidson motorcycle club, Pennine Drag Racing club,  North Lincs Jaguar club, and the Pennine Drag Racing club. The event raised over £1000 towards taking Bloodhound SSC to its test site in South Africa.

Please click here for photographs of his visit.

Visit the Bloodhound SSC website for more details.

Magic, mayhem, and flying carpets

Pupils from Years 3-8 thrilled the Hill House audience with their excellent performances of the Disney stage adaptation of Aladdin Junior  in a production filled with magic, mayhem, and flying carpet rides. The children had great fun learning the songs, which included ‘A Whole New World’ and ‘Friend Like Me’.

The story begins in Agrabah, city of enchantment. Here lives the Sultan, ruler of all he surveys, the beautiful Princess Jasmine, the Grand Vizier Jafar, his right-hand man Razoul and Iago, Jafar's right-hand...parrot: not to mention a very handsome street urchin called Aladdin. The audience was royally entertained by the mystical, and very funny, Genie direct from the lamp.

All children deserve special thanks for their time and commitment as do the many people who helped with costumes, props and make-up. A special mention must go to Mrs Lee and Mrs Leach for illuminating the cast professionally, Miss Jones for her back-stage multi-tasking, and Mr Ross for playing the piano.

Please click here to see more photographs.

La Chambre de Jean-Paul

On Wednesday 26th May, French actors from the Onatti Theatre Productions Group entertained pupils from Years 8 - 11 with their performance of the comedy, 'La Chambre de Jean-Paul'.

Please click here for a full write-up and some photographs.

Cricket legend bats for Hill House School

Excited children at Hill House School were visited by England cricket legend Alec Stewart as part of the Yorkshire Bank’s work with communities.

The former England captain gave the children some useful tips and patiently signed several hundred bats, shirts and cricket balls. He wrote in the Visitor’s Book: ‘You should be proud of this school.’

He added: “It was great to meet the children at Hill House School and to see how important sport is to their curriculum. It is essential that children are helped to get involved in sport at an early stage and to keep them engaged as part of developing a healthy lifestyle.”

Principal David Holland, for whom Alec Stewart is a boyhood hero, said:  “Cricket is one of our principal sports and is very popular. We often see children devoting breaks and lunchtimes to extra practice completely  voluntarily.”

Neil Bradburne, managing partner for the Yorkshire Bank’s financial solutions center in Doncaster, added: “I see Alec’s visit as a very important part of the bank’s social responsibility.”

The Duke of Kent, first cousin to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, visited the school on Tuesday 20th October.

Year 6 visit the Humphrey Head Outdoor Eduction Centre

In February Year 6 visited the Humphrey Head Outdoor Education Centre near Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria for an action packed week of adventurous activities.

Please click here for more information.

Year 5 visit Bewerley Park FSC

In January Year 5 visited the Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre – and won a big pat on the back.

Please click here for more information.

Year 9 Teambuilding with The RAF

Year 9 pupils took part in a 'Team-Building' Day organised by the RAF in our School Hall. Teambuilding is an important factor in any environment, its focus is to specialize in bringing out the best in a team to ensure self development, positive communication, leadership skills and the ability to work closely together as a team to problem solve.

Click here to see photographs.

Art Prize

Hill House School pupil Abigail McMahon beat 18,000 children to win a major prize in a contest organised by the national Woodland Trust.

Abigail receives a butterfly house in which she can grow her own butterflies as the prize for her entry in the ‘Use of Colour’ category of the Nature Detectives art competition.

Competition organiser Danielle Evans of the Woodland Trust, based in Gainsborough, said: “Abigail’s entry was excellent, really outstanding. She made fantastic use of yellows and oranges – subtle, with lots of shading. Her use of colour was unique.”

Abigail is seen with Esther Parkhurst who produced the very seasonal April picture for a national charity calendar.

U13 European Rugby Tour

Pupils are visiting Paris for the School’s International U13 Rugby Tournament from Friday 26 March to Tuesday 30 March. They will play two matches against French club teams.

The pupils will also visit the Eiffel Tower, take a cruise on the Seine, and have a trip to Disneyland.

Road Safety

Y11 pupils heard a talk on safe driving by the Doncaster Road Safety Education Team, with Judith Shaw, and PCs Stephen Thomas and Steven Hatfield, as part of the www.drive4life.org campaign in South Yorkshire.

Our wizard Wizard of Oz

Students wound their way down the Yellow Brick Road in a lively Junior production of The Wizard of Oz.
A resplendent Dorothy, a saddle-sore Scarecrow, a Tin Man complete with oilcan, and a Cowardly Lion more concerned with manicures than manliness all travelled to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz to ask for very special gifts.
The Wicked Witch of the West and her crew of Riff Raffs did all they could to hamper Dorothy's progress; nevertheless, a helpful band of Munchkins and a very popular Glinda the Good ensured they reached the Wizard, and helped raise the Wicked Witch from the depths of the stage to join an Ozian party to celebrate the courage of the Lion, the brains of the Scarecrow and the heart of the Tin Man and to wave a fond farewell to Dorothy and Toto as they went back Over the Rainbow to Kansas.
All the students deserve special thanks for their time and commitment as do the many people who helped with costumes, props and make-up. Although a Junior production, this was really a whole-school effort as students from across the age range, teachers from all three sectors, and parents all pulled together to create three wonderful evenings.
Particular thanks go to Mrs Lee for her directorial enthusiasm, Mrs Leach for illuminating the cast so professionally, Miss Jones for her back-stage multi-tasking and Mr Ross for the music.

Children in Need - Funky Friday - Do Something Different

Students and teachers were literally driving each other up the wall today as the country’s tallest mobile climbing wall, along with its little brother and sister; visited the front of our school today. Students of all ages were encouraged to climb anything up to 9meters (approx. 30ft) in aid of the Children In Need appeal and together we managed to raise more than £3,000.

Lower School children amazed their teachers by scaling one of the taller walls and, not wishing to be left behind, Mrs Fearns reached the top too before performing a very graceful landing! Mrs Jackson, complete with Funky Friday fairy wings, flew to the top on at least two occasions in aid of the national appeal to support underprivileged and disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. Middle and Senior School students and staff gave it their all on the goliath wall and a great time was had by everyone who took part.

The fun didn’t stop there, however, as the much anticipated and awaited House Song contest helped launch our afternoon session. All students took part and the songs, although diverse in nature, were equally well performed. Special guest judges, Dannii Minogue (Mrs Davidson); Cheryl Cole (Miss Powell); Louis Walsh (Mr Lane) and a certain Mr Simon Cowell (Mr Wallace) found choosing the winning house to be an almost impossible task as the standard this year exceeded all others. Unlike their television counterparts, however, the judges did not have to go to Dead Lock to make a decision and Master House emerged victorious with their take on the St. Trinians title song by Girls Aloud.

It has been a fantastic day for all students and staff at Hill House as well as for staff and students of local schools who came to share in the fundraising and roof-raising day. Special thanks go to Mrs Lee (Charities Coordinator) and Ms Hallam (PE Department) for organising the various aspects of the day, as well as to all the staff and students who partook in the events and helped to raise much needed funds for Children In Need.

Please click here to see photographs of the climb. Photographs of the House Song Competition will be posted soon.

Nursery Visit Bawtry Library

Please click here for more information & some photographs.

Royal Visit

The Duke of Kent, first cousin to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, visited the School on Tuesday 20 October. This was a happy and historic occasion – the first Royal visit to the School.

The Duke, who is President of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and President of the Scout Association, flew into Doncaster Robin Hood Airport for the morning visit. He was greeted at the entrance to Hill House by the Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Mr David Moody.

The Civic Mayor of Doncaster, Cllr Ros Jones, her consort Mr Alan Jones, and Mrs Liz Paver, Chair of the Governors of the School were then presented to the Duke, followed by Head Girl Sophie Merrett, Head Boy Marcus Hooper, former Principal Jack Cusworth and Principal David Holland.

Mr Holland escorted the Duke on a tour of the building which included a display of memorabilia connected with the School’s history in the Board Room, children acting nursery rhymes in Master Hall, a rugby match on the sports field, excerpts from ‘Salem’ in the Theatre, and art and language displays in the Cusworth Library.

The Duke then entered the Main Hall where Mrs Paver welcomed HRH, and the parents and external guests who attended, and invited the Choir to sing ‘Amazing Grace.’ The Duke was then invited to unveil a commemorative plaque by the Head Girl, and to sign the Visitors’ Book by the Head Boy before leaving.