SCience, Technology,

maths & engineering (stem)

STEM Madness: The Great Skyscraper Showdown! 🏙️✨

This week, our boys unleashed their inner engineers in a thrilling skyscraper challenge! Armed with nothing but scrap paper and scissors, they raced against time (and each other!) to build the tallest tower possible. The creativity, teamwork, and laughter were off the charts!

But the real fun? Watching their masterpieces come crashing down in an epic demolition finale! Check out the photos of their towering triumphs and the pure joy of destruction. Who knew STEM could be this much fun? 😄🎉

Year 7 & Literacy updates

From Ms Russell, Assistant Principal

📖✨ Inspiring a Love for Reading - Year 9 Library Time in Action!! ✨📖

Check out these snapshots of our Year 9 students during their library lesson! They’ve been hard at work on Lexia, sharpening their phonics skills, diving into some great reads, and writing thoughtful book reviews as part of the 150 Book Challenge.

At LBS, Literacy Builds Success, and we’re proud to make reading the heart and passion of our school. As Dr. Seuss wisely said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Fantastic effort, everyone—keep up the amazing work and continue your reading journey! 🌟📖

🕵️‍♂️ The Trial of OJ Simpson: Year 10 Take the Stand! 🕵️‍♀️

As part of their study on how writers convey viewpoints and perspectives, 10.1 delved into the gripping world of true crime by exploring the infamous OJ Simpson case. Taking it a step further, they stepped into the courtroom themselves to stage their own Mock Trial, complete with judges, juries, and passionate Prosecution and Defense teams.

The students showcased outstanding oracy skills, building compelling arguments and examining evidence to create a convincing case. The judge and jury faced a tough task deliberating after hearing such articulate and persuasive presentations.

📚✨ The Book Fair Magic! ✨📚

This week, the Scholastic Book Fair has brought so much excitement to school! Students have thoroughly enjoyed exploring shelves filled with the best new reads and discovering their next favorite book.

A massive shout-out to our amazing Junior Librarians for their incredible effort in running the stall smoothly—Alan’s spreadsheet magic has been, as always, a lifesaver!

Thank you to everyone who supported the Book Fair and helped us celebrate the joy of reading! 📖

College updates

From Mr Insley, Assistant Principal

College Basketball Event: Mercia Reigns Supreme! 🏀

On Monday, we had an action-packed day filled with competition, skill, and a lot of fun during our annual College Basketball event. Each year group battled it out in both a Free Throw Tournament and a 4v4 Tournament, competing not only for the glory of victory but also for those all-important points for their college!

Free Throw Tournament Highlights:

It was an intense shootout as students (and some brave staff members) lined up for three shots each to see who could sink the most baskets. The Raiders were on fire, leading with an impressive 1.2 baskets made per 3 shots! Here's how the year groups stacked up:

Free Throw Totals:

• Mercia – 160 points

• Midlands – 130 points

• Central – 120 points

• Westerly – 90 points

4v4 Tournament Highlights:

This was where the action really heated up. The students showed off their competitive spirit, with Midlands coming out on top in three out of the five year groups! The Year 10 final saw a dramatic twist with a tie, which led to a thrilling shootout between Josh (Titans) and Terrell (Rams) – a truly nail-biting finish!

4v4 Totals:

• Midlands – 150 points

• Central – 110 points

• Mercia – 130 points

• Westerly – 110 points

Overall Results:

When we combined both the Free Throw and 4v4 Tournament results, Mercia emerged victorious with a close win, scoring a total of 290 points!

With the Tug of War, College Quiz, and Basketball Events now in the bag, here’s how the Events Trophy Board looks:

1st – Westerly – 90 points
2nd – Mercia – 80 points
3rd – Midlands – 70 points
4th – Central – 60 points

It  was an incredible day full of action and some unforgettable moments. Keep up the great work, everyone, and we can’t wait to see how the leader board shapes up as we move forward into the next events!

Stay tuned for photos and a video update soon! 📸

Teaching & Learning updates

From Mrs Davis-Musabayana, Assistant Principal

🌟 Teaching and Learning Highlights This Week 🌟

• English (Mr. Ali & Ms. Baker): Exceptional subject knowledge on full display, ensuring students grasp key lesson concepts with clarity and confidence. ✍️📚

• Science (Mrs. Sethi): A stellar example of focused learning! Students made outstanding progress, engaging in concise, dynamic activities and absorbing teacher-led explanations with keen attention. 🧪🧠

• Year 8 (Mrs. Bone): Brilliant use of questioning techniques! Ideas were flying around the room as students collaborated to find the right answers, creating a vibrant and interactive learning environment. 💡👏

• Year 10 (Mr. Hussain): Clear and effective marking of practical assessments is enabling students to track their progress and refine their skills with precision. A fantastic focus on developing expertise! 🧬✔️

Great work across the board—well done to all involved! 🎉

PDCE & Medical updates

From Ms Sandhu, Assistant Principal

🌟Building Future Leaders: Exploring Democracy and Integrity in Our Assemblies✨ 

Miss Ali led inspiring year assemblies this week, focusing on our British Value for HT2: Democracy, and linking it to our school virtues of Leadership and Integrity.

Students reflected on equality and their roles and responsibilities as future leaders in society. A thought-provoking video on gender stereotypes and discrimination sparked deep discussion, challenging everyone to think about how reversing roles made them feel and how we can all contribute to creating a safer, more inclusive community.

Powerful conversations, meaningful insights—shaping leaders of tomorrow! 🌟

Important Health Information: Immunisations and Winter Illness Care

As we move into the colder months, we’d like to share some important updates from Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust regarding immunisations and care for winter illnesses.

Covid-19 Immunisation Campaign 2024

The Autumn/Winter Covid-19 immunisation campaign is concluding in the next few weeks. If your child is eligible due to medical conditions such as neurodisability or severe/profound learning disabilities, they may face a higher risk of complications from Covid-19.

Immunisation provides the best protection as we approach winter. Clinics for Covid-19 vaccinations are being held at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

To book an appointment:
📧 Email: BSOLVaccinationBooking@uhb.nhs.uk
📞 Phone: 0121 371 8445

For more information or assistance, please contact the bookings team.

Winter Coughs and Colds

With winter here, coughs and colds are common among children. Rest, hydration, and over-the-counter remedies are recommended, as antibiotics are typically unnecessary for viral infections.

We encourage you to stay proactive in managing your child’s health and ensure they’re up to date with immunisations. Let’s work together to keep our community safe and healthy!

Kindest regards,
Fiona Etheridge, RGN RSCN
Senior Nurse, BSOL Vaccination Programme

Year 11 updates

From Ms Bunger, Assistant Principal

🎄 Prefects Spread Holiday Cheer with Hampers! 🎄

As the festive season approaches, our Year 11 Prefects are embodying the true spirit of giving! With Miss Ali's guidance, they will take on the heart warming initiative of creating Christmas hampers for families in need, by packing gifts and wrapping presents.

From essentials like canned goods and toiletries to festive treats, these hampers aim to bring joy and relief to local families during this challenging time of year. This initiative not only spreads holiday cheer but also helps our students develop key life skills like empathy, teamwork, and community service. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making a difference this holiday season! 

A very special thank-you to Ms Bunger for her generosity in going out and putting together an array of gifts for the hampers.🎁✨

📊 Mock Exam Results Announcement 📊

We’re excited to announce that the results of the recent mock exams will be revealed during the school assembly on Friday, 20th December.

This is a pivotal moment for Year 11 students to reflect on their hard work, celebrate successes, and pinpoint areas for growth as they prepare for their final exams. Teachers will use these results to provide targeted support, while Literacy Tutors continue to assist students with post-16 application references. Let’s finish this term strong! 💪📖

💼 Dressed for Success! 💼

It’s wonderful to see our students dressed so smartly as they attend their college interviews! Their professionalism and confidence shine through as they support each other in preparing for this important step in their futures. Best of luck to all—it’s inspiring to watch you embrace these opportunities with determination and camaraderie! 🌟

Safeguarding Updates

From Mrs Metcalfe-Molinari, Assistant Principal

Anti-Bullying and the Importance of Respect

The theme of this year's Anti-Bullying Week is Respect, a virtue that holds a central place in our school’s ethos. At our school, we believe that discussions about bullying should not be confined to a single week but should remain an ongoing conversation. This ensures all students feel confident in accessing help and support whenever they need it.

While bullying is rare in our community, when it does occur, we address it promptly and effectively. Respect for ourselves, respect for learning, and respect for one another are values we work to embed in our daily lives, knowing these principles help bring out the best in everyone.

During assemblies, we’ve reflected on how respect is shown in the wider world. The Paris Olympics offered many inspiring examples, none more poignant than the moment Kinzang Lhamo, Bhutan’s sole Olympian, completed the marathon. Students watched in awe as she crossed the finish line with the slowest time ever recorded in Olympic history. Yet, the reaction of the crowd and commentators perfectly demonstrated the essence of respect in action.

If you have any questions relating to safeguarding and need support, we have a very experienced team of Designated Safeguarding Leads in school, please get in touch using the contact details below:

• Mrs Metcalfe-Molinari, Assistant Principal/Lead DSL, d.metcalfe-molinari@lordswoodboys.co.uk

• Mr Richard Stanford, Deputy DSL, r.stanford@lordswoodboys.co.uk

NOS Updates 

The National Online Safety programme publishes a weekly #WakeUpWednesday update for parents/carers. This week's free guide offers expert advice for enjoying a safe, risk-free holiday season. 

The holiday season is a time for celebration, relaxation and spending well-earned time with loved ones. While this period will hopefully be calm, it’s important that parents and educators acknowledge there are still things we can do to make these weeks as safe as possible for the young people in our care.

Of course, it’s not immediately obvious what can or should be done to stay safe over the festive season. This free guide offers expert advice on the steps you can take to enjoy a less fraught winter break, safeguarding any youngsters who might be present for the celebrations.

PSHE Updates

From Mrs Ali, Lead Professional for RE/PSHE

Well-Being Program Conclusion: A Journey of Integrity and Resilience

This week, we celebrated the successful conclusion of the Well-Being Program, where our students showcased outstanding integrity, perseverance, and commitment. Each student was awarded a certificate in recognition of their hard work and successful completion of the course. The trainers praised the students for their exemplary behavior and active participation throughout the program.

A special thank you goes to Miss Shergill for her unwavering support of the students throughout this transformative journey.

A message from Miss Shergill: "This week marked the conclusion of the Identity and Wellbeing Programme, which built upon the strong foundation set in previous sessions. The final focus was on resilience and the power of overcoming adversity. The students engaged in insightful discussions, sharing personal stories of resilience and offering advice on how to support others in challenging times.

It was truly inspiring to witness boys from different year groups come together, collaborate, and learn from each other. Their dedication and enthusiasm were evident in their active participation in both activities and discussions, showing a genuine desire to grow and develop."

We are incredibly proud of the progress our students have made and look forward to seeing the positive impact of this program in their future endeavors.

Pastoral updates

From Miss Williams, Director of Behaviour & Attitudes

Dance, Performing Arts and Extra-curricular updates

From Mrs McKeon, Director of Learning of Foundations Studies and Extra-curricular learning

🎭 Fame Rehearsals: Week 6 Update! 🎶

We’re now in our sixth week of rehearsals for Fame, and the excitement is growing! Our talented students are giving it their all in acting, singing, and dancing as they bring their characters to life.

The students are putting in an incredible amount of effort, and we can't wait to share this brilliant production with you. Stay tuned for more updates as the show takes shape!

Sporting Success: Dodzi Shines for West Midlands! 🏅

A huge congratulations to Dodzi, who represented the West Midlands Under-14 County Team in their impressive 4-0 victory over Staffordshire on Monday night! 🙌⚽

The team managers were full of praise for Dodzi’s performance in his debut game—a testament to his skill, hard work, and dedication. It’s fantastic to see LBS students competing at such an elite level and making us proud on the field.

Well done, Dodzi! 👏🎉

🏆 Year 11 Football Triumph! ⚽

The Year 11 Football Team pulled off an impressive 3-1 victory against Bartley Green in the Round 2 Cup Fixture last night! Despite being 1-0 down at half-time, the boys showed outstanding resilience and determination to turn the game around. Idin earned the Man of the Match Award for a spirited and skillful performance.

No team photo this time, as the freezing cold got the better of us, and we had to clear the pitch quickly for the next booking—but the memories of this win will keep us warm! ❄️💪

🏀 Year 10 Basketball Battle

Mr. Noble's Year 10 Basketball Team played their hearts out in a closely contested league match against King Edwards Camp Hill. While they narrowly missed victory, the game was packed with action and plenty of baskets! Next up, the team takes on Kings Norton, ready to bounce back stronger.

Great effort all around, lads—keep it up! 👏🔥

Athletics Development Sessions 🏃‍♂️💪 

On Monday, we held our second Athletics Development session after school, and once again, the turnout was fantastic! 🎉 The boys worked on coordination 🤸‍♂️ and balance ⚖️, incorporating elements of core strength 🏋️‍♂️ into their exercises.

Next Monday will be our final session before the Christmas break 🎄, and we look forward to seeing everyone there! 🙌

Athletics Development Sessions 🏃‍♂️💪 

On Monday, we held our second Athletics Development session after school, and once again, the turnout was fantastic! 🎉 The boys worked on coordination 🤸‍♂️ and balance ⚖️, incorporating elements of core strength 🏋️‍♂️ into their exercises.

Next Monday will be our final session before the Christmas break 🎄, and we look forward to seeing everyone there! 🙌