Chapel en le Frith High School

Over 100 Year 10 students joined together to walk 10 kilometres to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. The walk took them through the stunning scenery of Combs Valley and, despite wet conditions underfoot from the recent rain, the weather stayed fine, allowing students and staff the enjoy the challenge before returning to school for a well-deserved barbecue.

Chapel High has been supporting this wonderful charity for 27 years now. Mr Jones, Science Teacher, who organised the walk, said:

“This is a fantastic event and it’s good to see another group of teenagers taking up the challenge of fund raising for Teenage Cancer Trust. Last year, students raised over £2,400 for this fabulous charity.”

Last week also saw the whole school taking part in a one-mile walk over the school fields to raise further funds. Students and staff walked in teams representing different countries of the world, dressing in flag colours, with some even taking along drums to help to motivate and encourage everyone to complete the task. There was a great atmosphere and it was brilliant to see the whole school get together for this fun event which raised over £700.

Teenage Cancer Trust works to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13 to 24 in the UK. The money raised from our sponsored walks will go towards building and equipping dedicated units in the NHS hospitals.

To make a donation, you can go to our Just Giving page: https://tinyurl.com/2pt9wj7z

On 4th July we ran a Mock General Election in school, purposely mirroring the real candidates in the High Peak constituency to give students the opportunity to experience how voting works and to aid their understanding of democracy. After learning about each party’s manifesto during tutor time, members of our School Parliament ran the election day and Mr Brook ran the exit poll.

Students and staff all received a polling card, and were able to cast their votes before school, during break time and after school in the voting booths using mock ballot papers.

This is the fourth election we have held in school, but the first time we have reflected the real candidates. This is has been a really important exercise to aid our students’ personal development and for them to learn more about British values and democracy. This fits under the umbrella of our ‘Learning for Life’ curriculum which is designed to prepare students for a successful life beyond school as they move on into adult life.

The election results were very interesting, with 60% of the school turning out to vote – this matches the real election turnout where 60% of the nation voted. Labour won the majority in school, again mirroring the real general election results, although the school results for the other parties were different.

This was a brilliant experience for our students. Thank you to our excellent MSPs for running such a successful and valuable mock election.

Our Year 7s have been studying the topic of ‘Live Theatre’ in their Drama lessons. Students watched ‘Shrek the Musical’ and then discussed the elements that make up a live piece of musical theatre, including vocal and physical skills, staging and set design, costume and analysing the plot and themes within it.

As part of this topic work, the students then received a range of creative, fun and educational tasks to choose from for their homework project. They could select to design a costume or set, make a podcast reviewing the show, write an evaluation or even make a stop motion animation of a scene. Mrs Bramwell and Mrs Walker were hugely impressed by the standard of the projects they received and the creativity, effort and enthusiasm that has clearly gone into them.

Mrs Bramwell, Head of Drama, said:

“We were amazed by the quality. All students showcased and shared their work with their whole class which was an enjoyable and fun lesson. Students who received an 'Exceptional' in their homework feedback also received an email home to congratulate them on 'Making a difference'.”

Well done to our Year 7s for their fantastic work in Drama!

A team of scientists from Year 10 went to take part in a competition at Stockport Grammar School. The event was aimed at students who have shown a strong passion for science. It gave the group the opportunity to use advanced laboratory equipment and to engage in science activities beyond the normal school curriculum.

All teams were allocated famous scientist names and ours, "Team Einstein", comprised Hannah S, Finley S, Jasmine B and Team Captain, Toby M. The students took part in three challenges, one in each of the scientific disciplines: a chemistry-based titration challenge, a physics electromagnet challenge and a biology-based antibiotic resistance challenge. Our students thoroughly enjoyed the tests and particularly liked experimenting with the electromagnet.

Ms Brooke, Deputy Head of Science, said:

“I was very proud of our students who were complimented on their confidence, teamwork and subject knowledge. It was also an excellent opportunity for them to discuss their post-16 options and ask questions while they worked alongside sixth formers from Stockport Grammar.”

Well done Team Einstein for representing our school so brilliantly.

Four of our talented chemists went to take part in the Chemquiz at the School of Chemistry at Manchester Metropolitan University. Our team was made up of students from different key stages and competition was fierce as they faced 32 other teams from across the North West.

The students worked together on three chemistry challenges: a mystery practical to solve, a confusing chemistry quiz and a spectacular chemical demonstration section. We are delighted to confirm that team Chapel High won the demonstration section and are now the proud owners of some impressive trophies.

Miss Brooke, Deputy Head of Science, said:

“It was excellent to see our students competing alongside some of the best young chemists in the North West. The teamwork, determination and knowledge of our team was very impressive and I’m very proud of them.”

Congratulations to our four young chemists on this brilliant achievement.

Would you like to work in our happy and successful school? We are currently recruiting for:

*Receptionist*
22.5 hours per week (term time only)
Salary: £12,036 - £12,511 (actual salary)
Closing date: Monday 1st July 2024 at 12 noon

*Midday Supervisors*
Part-time, 6.4 hours per week (term time only)
£11.79 per hour
Closing date: Monday 1st July 2024

For more details about these roles and an application pack, please go to our website:

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School - About Us Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a popular and successful school combining high academic standards with a friendly and inclusive approach.

This year’s theme for British Science Week was Time. Students were challenged with designing a mug to reflect what time and science means to them. Time is key to so many scientific discoveries and innovations, and we talked about evolution, the Earth’s movements and the lifecycles of different organisms.

We received over 150 competition entries which was fantastic. It was great to see the students’ designs and how they chose to express the theme in lots of different ways. Eight winners were selected and their fabulous designs were made into mugs for the students to keep. A big congratulations to our winners.

Our annual Year 10 sponsored walk to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust will take place on Tuesday 18th June. This is always a brilliant school community event where students walk six miles through the beautiful Combs Valley, returning to school for a well-earned BBQ.

In 2023 students raised over £2,400 for this fabulous charity which Chapel High has been supporting for 27 years now. Teenage Cancer Trust works to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13-24 in the UK. The money raised from our sponsored walk will go towards building and equipping dedicated units in NHS hospitals.

To make a donation, you can sponsor a student, donate via Parent Pay or our Just Giving page: https://tinyurl.com/2pt9wj7z

A group of Year 10s visited London to experience a performance at The Globe Theatre, enhancing their study of Shakespeare’s plays as part of their GCSE in English Literature. The students were lucky enough to watch the opening night of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, and they got a real taste of how and where the plays were originally performed. The group really got into the lively ambiance of the open-air theatre, and one of our students ignited the atmosphere brilliantly by encouraging the audience to cheer along.

Year 10s are currently studying ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in their English lessons, so it was fantastic for them to experience the atmosphere of a live performance of Shakespeare.

The group took advantage of being in the capital city, successfully learning how to navigate the busy streets and underground system. They got into small teams and played their own version of ‘Race Across The World’, locating St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge in order to get to the The Globe first. This was brilliant fun and the students really rose to the responsibility, planning routes and checking maps along the way.

The group walked over 40,000 steps during their two days in London, taking in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Number 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, Regent's Park and Buckingham Palace. They also stopped to eat in Borough Market, trying everything from Japanese cuisine to chips! The students even managed to fit in a trip to Madame Tussauds where they absolutely loved having their photos taken with the celebrities.

Mrs Whyte, English teacher, said:

“The students behaved impeccably and we were incredibly proud of how mature they were and the way in which they soaked up the city! Here's to London 2025!!”

Would you like to join our happy and successful school?
We are currently recruiting for two roles:

*Senior Design Technician*

The successful candidate will enjoy working with young people in a busy school setting, have excellent practical skills and be highly organised and self-motivated.

Hours: 37 hours per week, 39 weeks per year (term time only).
Salary: Grade 7, £21,371 - £23,525 (actual salary).

*Librarian*

We are seeking an enthusiastic and committed librarian to manage our library and promote literacy across the school. The ideal applicant will be passionate about books and about developing the skills of young people.

Hours: 32 ½ hours per week, 39 weeks per year (term time only).
Salary: Grade 9, £22,605 - £24,580 (actual salary).

Closing date: Thursday 16th May 2024 at 12 noon
Interview date: week commencing 20th May 2024

For full details and an application pack, please visit our website:

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School - About Us Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a popular and successful school combining high academic standards with a friendly and inclusive approach.

A group of 86 students and 10 staff travelled to Limburg in Holland for a football and netball tour during the Easter holidays. This was a brilliant opportunity for our students to work with some top sports coaches and they took part in intensive training sessions to prepare them for the competitions. Our netballers attended a programme led by coaches from Elite Netball Academy and the footballers went to RSK Wittenhorst for a training session delivered by Norwich City FC. After this tough but fun morning, the teams were selected and students then went to relax and enjoy the Aqua Mundo pool at Center Parcs Nederland.

Following some more rigorous training the next day, our three netball teams and five football teams were ready to compete against other British Schools in the tournaments. Our students did exceptionally well and managed to bring home three trophies! Year 8 boys’ football and girls’ netball were undefeated in their premiership tournament and the Year 9 girls won their division, also unbeaten! Year 9 boys came a strong second, playing a year up.

After all that exertion, the next day was all about fun and the group travelled to Efteling Theme Park Resort for a day of thrill-seeking. Students also took the opportunity to try out the local cuisine. Staff also had fun exploring the park and even managed to get Mr Marsh on to some of the rollercoasters!

On the return journey, the group stopped off at the home of PSV Eindhoven for a tour of the stadium which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Mr Henshall, Head of PE, said:

"The week overall was fantastic. Students behaved impeccably, worked hard for their teams and represented Chapel High School in the best way possible. As a staff group, we couldn't have been prouder of the students we took.”

This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to see the world beyond the hills of the High Peak and it was great to see them working together and showing resilience in both the training and matches. A big thank you to the staff who organised this trip and made sure it was such a brilliant experience for our students.

Last week we welcomed ambassadors from the University of Oxford who came into school to deliver careers talks to groups of Year 10s and 11s. Year 10s had an introduction to the benefits of Higher Education and found out what studying at university is like, including how it is different to school and college. The group also learnt about what makes the University of Oxford unique, the wide range of clubs and societies on offer and the high academic standards expected at this world-class university.

The talk for Year 11s went into greater detail about what life is like for students at Oxford and the types of courses on offer. The group learnt about the facilities and resources at the university, including the library which has more than 13 million books! The ambassadors also talked about the success of Oxford graduates and the types of jobs they go on to get, explaining where an Oxford degree could take them in the future.

There was also discussion about how much university might cost, accommodation options and the financial support available.

These careers talks have given our older students a good introduction the benefits of Higher Education and an idea of what studying at Oxbridge might be like. This information will help them to make decisions in the future and to choose a path that is right for them.

Thank you to Luke and Rebecca from St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford for answering our students’ questions and for giving them an insight into life at the University of Oxford.

A huge well done to all the students who have taken part in our rewards celebrations today. These students were entered into a prize draw as they had a perfect half term, having had great attendance and not losing any achievement points. We hope the winners enjoy their treats 🐣🐰🍫

We have also celebrated some impressive attendance this half term, with well over 500 students meeting or exceeding the target of 96% attendance.

We are looking to appoint an IT Support Engineer to provide an efficient and effective IT service to students and staff. You will be an enthusiastic and well-organised person with a passion for problem solving.

Hours: 37 hours per week, 52 weeks per year

Salary: £30,054 - £31,963

Closing date: Thursday 18th April 2024 – 12 noon

For full details and an application pack, please go to our website:

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School - About Us Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a popular and successful school combining high academic standards with a friendly and inclusive approach.

We are currently recruiting for 2 enthusiastic and committed Teaching Assistants to join our happy and successful team. One is a permanent position, one is a maternity cover position.

Salary: Grade 7, point 8-11 (£18,385 - £19,795 actual salary)

Hours: 31 hours 50 minutes per week, 39 weeks per year (term time only)

Closing date: Thursday 18th April 2024 at 12 noon

For more details and an application pack, please go to our website:

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School - About Us Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a popular and successful school combining high academic standards with a friendly and inclusive approach.

Our Learning Support Department hosted a Quiz & Supper Night to raise funds for our students. Thank you to everyone who came along and made this such a fun evening. We raised an amazing £600 which will go towards residential trips and special resources for students based in our Learning Support Department. 😃

Last week our GCSE Geography students attended a special Climate Change event hosted by The University of Sheffield. Our aim was for students to understand the difficulties that can happen in global negations when countries are trying to reach a consensus. The event began with a lecture from Dr Robert Marchand and Dr Tom Ward who were both part of the independent observation team at the global climate conference COP28 which was held in Dubai last year.

Students then took part in a mini conference and debate to highlight the difficulties that can happen when countries try to reach a unanimous decision. They worked together in groups to represent countries at different stages of development and put forward their solutions to reduce the impact of climate change. Students learnt that poorer countries often say yes to a reduced deal, even if it means that new agreements mostly benefit the more advanced countries (as some progress is better than none).

The activities and topics covered linked with a number of areas students are studying on the GCSE Geography course, including international development.

Mr Sellers, Head of Geography, said:

“The presenters were really pleased with how our students engaged with the event, and were particularly impressed with the complexity of the work our Y11s produced.”

Thank you to the experts at The University of Sheffield for sharing their knowledge with our students, and for helping them to understand how the international negotiations process works.

A massive Thank You to Morrisons and Co-op in Chapel who very kindly donated a selection of prizes for our "Good Attendance" winners this half term. All students who reached the target of at least 96% attendance were entered into a prize draw. The winners enjoyed their treats, thank you! 😋🍫🍬

Ahoy me hearties! We love here at Chapel High and this year’s theme was pirates and treasure. Students were greeted on Thursday morning by teachers and staff dressed up in pirate costumes, setting the scene for a day of book-related fun.

Our very talented School Librarian, Ms Hibbert, transformed the library into a pirate’s keep and designed a clever treasure hunt around the whole school. Over 230 students took part in the trail and there was great excitement as they travelled around school trying to link the book extracts together to solve the symbol of the treasure chest. 60 students managed to work out the puzzle and a lucky three winners were drawn out of the treasure chest to win some brilliant prizes.

On Friday, the book-based activities continued with a big World Book Day quiz in which an amazing 25 teams took part. The questions focussed on the theme that books and reading are something that we must treasure. Congratulations to Miss King’s tutor group who won the quiz, they were rewarded with some brilliant books and Easter egg treats.

Mr Grieves, Headteacher, said:

“Undoubtedly, the standout events of this week have been linked to World Book Day. Students loved it… A huge thank you to Ms Hibbert for a brilliant day, and an equally big thank you to our impressive crew of pirates!”

We were thrilled to welcome author, Anthony McGowan, last half term to deliver a series of talks to students about his writing. We had read Anthony’s book, “Pike”, as part of our tutor time reading initiative so students were already familiar with some of his work before the visit.

The writer was very charismatic and engaging as he talked to students in Years 7 to 10 about how he became an author and why. There was also plenty of time left for some interesting questions at the end of his presentations. Not only did our students ask about the author’s inspirations and how much he earned, they also asked questions about Anthony’s thoughts on AI authorship and how big his feet were!

One of our brilliant Year 9s managed to answer one of Antony’s questions which he said no one had ever accurately guessed in the 15 years he had been giving author talks – he was very impressed!

The author also ran a special story planning and writing workshop for a group of Year 8s in the library. This gave our students a fantastic opportunity to work closely with Anthony and to develop their own fictional pieces.

A big thank you to Anthony McGowan for visiting our school and inspiring our students. And another big thank you to Ms Clarke for organising such a fabulous day of literature and discussion.

We were delighted to host 15 students and their teachers from our Slovenian partner school, Osnovna šola Lesce, as part of their trip to England in February. The visiting students were looked after by their Year 9 Chapel buddies who accompanied them to lessons. This gave them an opportunity to practise their English and to see what it is like to study here. The group were also given a tour of the school by our student ambassadors.

The Slovenian teachers observed and assisted in lessons, and also taught to some of our Year 7s about life in Slovenia. Our students came away with lots of new knowledge about the Slovene language, including how to say a number of greetings and phrases, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

This was a brilliant chance for our students to learn about another country, culture and language. A highlight was our after-school event where students learnt to play a Slovenian disc throwing game called balinčki which they kindly gifted to us. There was also a quiz about Slovenia which was prepared by some of our visitors.

Ms Wright, our teacher of Modern Foreign Languages who organised the visit, said:

“Hosting our Slovenian friends was a wonderful experience and a fantastic opportunity for our students to forge new friendships and learn about the world beyond the hills of the High Peak. We hope this will be the first of many visits to come!”

A group of Year 10s visited Manchester Metropolitan University just before the half term break as part of our Careers programme. The trip was designed to encourage students to think about life beyond school and to consider the different options on offer to them at post-16 and post-18.

Our day began with a talk about the benefits of Higher Education, the different types of degree courses available and university fees and funding. Three University Student Ambassadors then shared their experiences with the group, including what a typical week is like for them and how they manage their money. We also discussed the pros and cons of living away from home in student accommodation versus staying more local and travelling in each day.

After a quiz and Q&A session, the group were ready to take a tour of the university campus and facilities. We took in the Business School, Library, busy Oxford Road corridor, Manchester’s first Poetry Library and the Jobs Hub. Next our tour took us past Manchester School of Art and on into the School of Digital Arts (SODA) where we were met by one of the university tutors. We also visited the Students’ Union and went past student halls which gave our Year 10s an idea of the type of accommodation they might expect to live in and how much this could cost.

Students got to sit inside a huge lecture theatre at the Geoffrey Manton Building which houses humanities subjects. This was a highlight for many and gave them the chance to experience a lecture, sitting in the cinema-like seating as our guide presented to them from the front. They found it felt quite different to a lesson back at school!

Thank you to the team at Manchester Metropolitan University for being our guides and for giving our students an insight into university life. The group came away with lots of ideas and chatted about whether they think Higher Education is for them. This experience will certainly help them when it comes to making decisions about post-16 and post-18 choices.

The latest issue of our fabulous school newspaper, The Summ’it, is out now. As ever, it is packed full of the latest school news, inspiring articles and fun competitions. There are details about author, Anthony McGowan’s, visit to school, the recent concert by indie rockers, The Mercians, and there’s even an interview with our very own Head of Geography, Mr Sellers.

You can also find out more about the school trip to Barcelona, the latest achievements of our sports teams and view some really beautiful artwork done by our very talented students.

Well done to our student journalists, editors and designers who have put together yet another fantastic read. Everyone is welcome to contribute to The Summ’it and the team are always looking for new ideas. For more information about how you can get involved, please ask our School Librarian, Miss Hibbert.

You can view the full version of this issue: www.chapelhigh.org.uk/internet_assets/documents/students/newspaper/The%20Summ'it%20Issue%208.pdf

Would you like to join our vibrant, happy and successful school?
We are currently recruiting for a Teacher of Girls’ PE.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, highly committed and innovative teacher of girls’ PE to join a strong and dynamic team.

Start date: September 2024
Salary: MPS/UPS
Contract type: 1.00 fte
Contract term: Permanent

Application deadline: 12 noon, Tuesday 12th March 2024

For full details and an application pack, please visit our website:

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School - About Us Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a popular and successful school combining high academic standards with a friendly and inclusive approach.

Here’s the new timetable for this half term’s Sports Clubs. From Badminton to Basketball, there’s something for everyone.⚽️🏀🏸🏓

Students in Years 7 to 9 were treated to a spectacular live concert in school with up-and-coming indie rockers, The Mercians, just before the half term break. The band performed a selection of their own hits as well as popular songs by Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse. Students loved singing and dancing along in what was for many a very first concert experience. One student said, "They were awesome! I want to see them on tour now." The band chatted enthusiastically to students after the show and many came away with autographs to take home.

The Mercians were also keen to talk to the crowd about mental health and the issues they had experienced growing up. They emphasised the importance of seeking help and treating each other fairly, respecting everyone for their differences, whether that be gender, race or sexuality. The band also spoke to students about engaging with others online and thinking carefully about what you post. One student commented, "It was good to hear them talking about their own problems. It made me think a lot more about myself." The group’s final message to students was a simple but important one - just be nice!

This amazing activity formed part of our “Learning For Life” programme in school which aims to help students to be happy and safe in their lives. This curriculum allows time for students to consider politics and social issues, to reflect on the big topics of our age and to consider the difficult questions these raise.

A huge thank you to The Mercians for treating our students to a brilliant concert and for sharing their own experiences and mental health advice.


The Prime Agency

We're looking forward to our Pre-Loved Prom Event this Thursday 29th February. This is a fab opportunity for students to grab a bargain, raise money for a great cause and reduce the impact on the environment by choosing to wear a pre-loved outfit for the Year 11 Prom. 👗👔👠👞
Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen's Trust

Congratulations to our Year 10 student, Eden, who won the Business Quiz at the Buxton and Leek College Apprenticeships Experience event last week. Thank you to Kath from the college for coming into school to present this to Eden, her prize looks delicious 😋.

We've been raising awareness of Apprenticeships and T Levels in school to mark National Apprenticeship Week 2024. Activities have included a trip to a local college taster event, drop-in careers sessions with local colleges and employers, a logo quiz, special tutor time presentations and an extended assembly.

On Tuesday 6th February, a group of Year 10 students went to visit Buxton and Leek College for their Apprenticeships Experience event. They attended a presentation and Q&A session, and then went on to meet the tutors from different subject areas at a careers fair. Each stall had taster activities for the students to try out including building a bat box for carpentry, the nappy change challenge for childcare, VR headsets for engineering and a chocolate fountain for catering. There was also a live hair and beauty show with current apprentices talking about their work and demonstrating treatments. The group also took a tour of the college’s professional Hospitality and Catering kitchens and restaurant, and the Hair and Beauty salons, to get a feel for what a vocational training environment might be like.

We welcomed local employers into school at lunchtime to talk to students about their apprenticeship vacancies and how to apply. Thank you to Mitchells & Butlers Toby Carvery and Breedon Group plc for explaining how their programmes work and for answering lots (and lots!) of questions about their training in hospitality and engineering. We're looking forward to re-arranging the lunchtime drop-in sessions with Ensana Buxton Crescent Hotel and Swizzels Matlow as the snow had other ideas for us all that day! We also invited representatives from Stockport College, Macclesfield College and Buxton and Leek College to tell students about their range of apprenticeships and training courses, including T Levels – a big thank you to them for helping our students to understand more about the technical qualifications on offer.

On Wednesday 7th February, all of our Year 9s attended a special extended assembly focussing on Apprenticeships and T Levels which was delivered by Buxton & Leek College. Students learnt about the structure and benefits of both of these post-16 options, took part in an interactive quiz to test their understanding and finished with a Q&A session.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make our National Apprenticeship Week activities so useful and enjoyable this year. Our students are now more informed about apprenticeships and technical training options, and this knowledge will ultimately help them to make decisions about what they want to do in the future.