Our volunteer-led Highfield Friends and Parents Association (HFPA) host a number of fundraising events and exciting opportunities throughout the year to promote Highfield, involve the wider community and raise crucial funds to provide opportunities for students that the school might otherwise not be able to afford within its budget.
Our current fundraising project....
Omi Vista Multi Sensory Room
Our latest project is to fund the upgrade of what is known as the “Omi Vista Room” within the school. This is a room that was first put in place over 10 years ago. It contains interactive sensory/immersive experience technology for our learners. Of course, over the last decade, technology has come on leaps and bounds and there is great scope for the room to be updated. This would include relevant training for the staff to utilise the equipment to its maximum potential. This project will directly benefit and positively impact at least two thirds of the children attending Highfield. As you can imagine, this is a huge project and we have a current working figure of £12,000 to raise - scan the QR code to donate!
Previous Fundraising Projects
Specialist Communication Software and iPads – we raised funds to purchase 30 iPads with Grid 3 technology - a complete communication solution that enables the user to have a voice, control their environment and live a more independent life. The software is designed for anyone with complex communication or access needs and includes a wide range of resources that you can control with touch, switch, eye gaze and pointing devices. The technology is giving a voice to many young people at Highfield who have previously not had one.
Muddy Boots Farm – the creation of Muddy Boots Farm began in early 2022, when the school first introduced rabbits and guinea pigs - later joined by goats and chickens. Some of the older students work towards qualifications in Animal Care as part of their programme of study but the animals provide opportunities for all learners, ranging from therapeutic benefits to curriculum opportunities in Maths, English, Science, Communication and much, much more. We have raised funds
for the pond, the hen house, the rabbit mansion and fencing.
Outdoor Play – Our trim trail and play equipment are much loved but were in need of replacement having been installed over 20 years ago. We asked the children to tell us the kind of equipment they would like (a slide was a very popular choice!) and we raised the money needed to purchase and install new equipment. We needed to raise around £15,000 so every penny from raffles, cake sales and events went to this very worthwhile project.
Restore Our Hall – the equipment we had was out of date and not really fit for the kind of activities the school were organising, like film-making, dance shows and Christmas performances. We purchased microphones so that our performers could be better heard and stage lighting and audio visual equipment further enhanced performances. Our hall decoration was very dated, so we purchased new curtains, blinds and chairs.
Sow and Grow – Horticulture, gardening, forest schools and outdoor education are really important at Highfield. Our students love to be outside! Our horticulture group were busy renovating and restoring an allotment area at the rear of the school. They worked really hard to clear the overgrown borders and we had help from local companies who built a fruit cage for us as well as painting the shed and building equipment. We raised funds to purchase and install a greenhouse, buy new tools, seed trays, pots and compost to keep our mini enterprise flourishing. We were thrilled that we have received a £1000 grant from One Stop Carriers for Causes towards our greenhouse.
Sensory Garden – Through grant funding, donated materials, fundraising events and volunteering time we transformed a grassy corner of our grounds into a fully accessible multi-sensory garden in 2018. Our pupils were involved in all aspects of the garden, from design to ongoing horticultural maintenance and now love spending time in the garden.
For more details about any of the above initiatives or other ways you can support Highfield School please contact the HFPA Chairperson at hfpachair@highfield.cambs.sch.uk
Highfield Friends and Parents Association is a UK registered charity no. 1155274.