🏆 Competition Time: Who Created the Best Poster?

With so many fantastic poster entries, the judges had a tough time selecting the winners. The top entries were awarded exciting prizes, recognizing their creativity, research depth, and originality.

🔍 Some standout projects include:
🩺 Ean (Raiders): A fascinating look at how science has advanced the treatment of diabetes over the years, from early discoveries to modern insulin technology.
🐾 William Donnely (Jaguars): A creative design of an entirely new species, adapted to survive in different extreme environments—could this be the next step in evolution?
🤖 Lamy: A thought-provoking analysis on the development of AI and bold predictions on where artificial intelligence is heading next.
💊 Abdulmajid (Raiders): A deep dive into medicine through time, exploring how treatments have evolved from ancient remedies to cutting-edge innovations.

⭐ Honourable Mention: Laith (Saints)—while he may have missed the point slightly, his enthusiasm and pride in his work were absolutely worth celebrating! Well done, Laith! 👏 

It’s been incredible to see such unique and insightful perspectives on how science constantly adapts to shape our future!

Stay tuned for the official winners' announcement!

🚀 Blast Off! The Bronze CREST Award Rocketry Project

This term, 20 KS3 students have embarked on an out-of-this-world journey as part of the Bronze CREST Award project: "How Do Rockets Work?" 🏆

🔬 As part of the challenge, students will:
✅ Explore the history of spaceflight—from early rocketry to modern missions.
✅ Investigate how rockets work and the science behind lift-off.
✅ Design, build, and test their own rockets, comparing their results with national data.

With hands-on STEM learning, problem-solving, and scientific creativity, these future rocket scientists are gearing up for some explosive experiments! 🌠

Check out the project details below:

The Ultimate Science Quiz: A Battle of the Best!

To wrap up the celebrations, I sent out a special British Science Week quiz for Literacy Time. The competition was fast and fierce—and the results were surprising!

🔥 First to submit: The Rams, who stormed in with an impressive 9/10, making me think the competition was over in seconds.
⚡ Close behind: The Texans and Titans, also scoring 9/10—at this point, I started to wonder if I had made the quiz too hard.
🏆 Then, the perfect scores! At the exact same moment, both the Falcons and the Raiders submitted their answers with a flawless 10/10—proving me very wrong!

For those curious, the quiz answers are attached if you'd like to go through them in Tutor Time!

A huge well done to everyone who took part! I'll be making my way around with prizes shortly—so keep an eye out!

With rocketry experiments, creative projects, competitions, and quizzes, this British Science Week has been an incredible celebration of curiosity, innovation, and discovery.

Let’s keep the scientific spirit alive—who knows where our next big idea will take us? 🚀🔬

Year 7 & Literacy updates

From Ms Russell, Assistant Principal

📚The Year 7 Student Parliament have embarked on a big challenge - setting up the Year 7 READATHON in partnership with the Read for Good charity. 📚

The Parliament has challenged Year 7 to read for 50 hours minimum throughout the month of March and to gain sponsorship for their reading by tracking their minutes this month. Parliament members have been encouraging their classes to take part and this morning the Giants were excitedly filling out their sponsorship cards as Humayl talked everyone through what they needed to do. 

The money they raise for Read for Good will help children in hospitals have access to books and storytellers - if you're interested in the challenge they are taking part in and what they are raising money for, watch this video! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOlq78OD5TM 

It is so wonderful to see the students so excited about being compassionate and supporting a charity, helping others have access to books. 

The Chargers can't wait to get started! 

If you teach year 7 at all, please encourage them to track any reading they do at the end of each day and during your lessons as any reading at all counts towards their total minutes - they need 3000! The main message of the charity is reading for pleasure, it doesn't matter what they read as long as they are reading! 

As part of our starter kit, the charity sent us a box of magazines which the Chargers loved reading this morning and have already added 30 minutes to their tracker! 

Thank you in advance for supporting our Year 7 Charity Readathon in your lessons and encouraging them around school this month! I can't wait to share our total at the end of the month and celebrate the students!

College updates

From Mr Insley, Assistant Principal

College Attendance - Up for the Cup!

Attending school regularly is crucial, not only for personal academic success but also for earning valuable points for your college. For Midland, Mercia, Central, and Westerly, attendance directly impacts the overall standings, with higher percentages earning more points. Right now, there is just a 1.2% difference between the colleges, meaning every single day in school matters in the race for the Attendance Trophy.

By showing up every day, you contribute to your college’s success, helping it climb the leaderboard. A strong attendance record also reflects commitment, discipline, and teamwork—qualities that make a difference both in school and beyond. When everyone in your college attends consistently, it builds a culture of dedication, motivation, and pride.

Additionally, achieving high attendance benefits you personally. It keeps you on track with your studies, reduces stress from catching up on missed lessons, and strengthens friendships and teamwork within your college. Every day counts, and your presence can be the deciding factor in securing victory.

With such a close competition, now is the time to make a difference. Be there, earn points, and help your college claim the Attendance Trophy!

Year 11 updates

From Ms Bunger, Assistant Principal

Your GCSE exams are getting closer—only 33 days left! This is your time to focus, stay motivated and make every study session count.

• Create a Study Plan – Check your exam timetable and make a realistic revision schedule. Prioritize your weakest subjects and mix them with ones you enjoy.

• Revise Actively – Don’t just read! Use flashcards, mind maps, past papers and teach someone else to reinforce your knowledge.

• Use the Pomodoro Technique – Study in focused 50-minute blocks then take short breaks to stay sharp.

• Practice Past Papers – They help you get familiar with exam formats, timing, and common question styles.

• Look After Your Mind & Body – Stay hydrated, get at least 7-9 hours of sleep, and take short walks to refresh your brain.

• Stay Positive & Believe in Yourself – Progress happens one step at a time. Keep going and you’ll be exam-ready before you know it.

Here is the link to the online timetable and links to some really useful online resources.

Personal Development Updates

From Miss Sandhu, Assistant Principal

On the 8th of March it was International Women's Day, which we here at LBS, have acknowledged all week long.

Miss Russell raised awareness on the importance of this event especially in a boys school, engaged students with a riddle, used an interactive quiz to make students think about the impact of statistics as well as the term unconscious bias.

At Lordswood Boys' School, we believe that by embracing adversity, leading with authenticity and supporting others, we can all contribute to a more inclusive and empowered future for both men and women.

Teaching & Learning Highlights

From Mrs Davis Musabayana, Assistant Principal

Engaging Learning in Action!

This week, our classrooms have been buzzing with enthusiasm, curiosity, and outstanding student engagement. Here are some of the fantastic moments captured across different subjects:

🌟 Y8 Science with Mr. Jackson - In Year 8 Science, Mr. Jackson skillfully demonstrated and modelled responses, building on the insightful contributions made by students. This interactive approach encouraged deeper understanding and active participation, making for a truly engaging lesson!

📚 Y10 Geography with Miss Truman - Our Year 10 Geography students showcased exceptional independence while working on examination questions. They confidently applied their prior knowledge from textbooks, demonstrating a strong grasp of key concepts. The quality of work in their books was truly outstanding—well done, everyone!

💬 Y8 PSHE with Miss Ali

Respect and open discussion were at the heart of Miss Ali’s PSHE lesson on drugs and addiction. Students engaged thoughtfully, eager to share their perspectives and deepen their understanding of this important topic. It was inspiring to see such maturity and respect in the classroom.

📸 Check out the snapshots from this week’s lessons!

Stay tuned for more classroom highlights, and keep up the amazing work! 👏🎉

Safeguarding Updates

From Mrs Metcalfe-Molinari, Assistant Principal

Childline’s ‘Behind the Screen’ Campaign: Raising Awareness of Sextortion 🚨

Childline has launched a vital new campaign, Behind the Screen, aimed at raising awareness about the sexually coerced extortion of boys and young men—a form of online blackmail known as sextortion.

📢 Key Facts:
🔹 Sextortion involves being blackmailed for nudes online, often leading to distress and manipulation.
🔹 In the past year, 68% of Childline counselling sessions about blackmail or threats to share sexual images involved boys.
🔹 This campaign aims to increase awareness, boost confidence in responding to concerns, and provide essential support for affected young people.

It’s crucial that boys and young men know they are not alone and that help is available. If you or someone you know is affected, speak up—support is out there.

🔗 Find out more and access support: Childline’s Behind the Screen Guide

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/sfzndfgn/childline-behind-the-screen-pdf-guide.pdf

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 breaks down the risks associated with the popular multiplayer title Marvel Rivals and lets you know how best to safeguard children and young people playing the game. 

Marvel Rivals is a highly popular multiplayer shooter that pits iconic superheroes against formidable villains. The game is free –to play on PC and current-generation consoles but does feature microtransactions that allow players to spend real money on cosmetic items for their characters.

While Marvel Rivals has been deemed suitable for children aged 12 and over, there are several risks associated with the title that parents and educators should be aware of. This free guide offers more information on these safety concerns and lets you know how to ensure that children playing the game can have a fun and age-appropriate experience.

Pastoral updates

From Miss Williams, Director of Behaviour & Attitudes

🎯 School Target 96%

Secondary School National Attendance 91.8% 

LBS Whole School Attendance 93.5% 📈 

We are 1.7% above National - Well done everyone!

Dance, Performing Arts and Extra-curricular updates

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

Sport fixtures and training schedules 

🏆 Sports Leaders in Action!

This week, our Year 10 Sports Leaders took a big step in their leadership journey by delivering their first-ever session to two local primary schools!

The boys led an engaging Multi-Skills session, designed to help young students improve their throwing, catching, and fundamental movement skills. With careful planning and dedication, they ensured the session was both challenging and fun, creating an environment where younger students could thrive.

Beyond the drills and activities, our Sports Leaders also showed great teamwork, communication, and leadership skills, building fantastic relationships with the participants. It was inspiring to see them step up with confidence and enthusiasm—a true testament to their hard work!

Well done to all involved! We can’t wait to see what you achieve next. 👏🏅

⚽ Primary Football Festival at Lordswood!

This Thursday, we were delighted to host six local primary schools for an exciting Football Festival at Lordswood! Schools in attendance included:

🏫 St Mary's
🏫 Woodhouse
🏫 Harborne
🏫 Chad Vale
🏫 St Peter's
🏫 Welsh House Farm

The event was a fantastic display of teamwork, skill, and sportsmanship, with students competing in some truly competitive games. It was wonderful to see so many parents and supporters cheering from the sidelines, creating a brilliant atmosphere for our young footballers.

A huge well done to all the players for their effort and enthusiasm! We’re already looking forward to the next event, where we’ll continue to welcome more young athletes to Lordswood. ⚽👏

🏆 County Football Success! 

A huge congratulations to Dodzi Sanchez (Y9) for representing West Midlands County Schools U14s in their 2-1 victory over Staffordshire County Schools on Monday evening! 🎉⚽

This incredible win secured the Midlands Counties League title, marking a fantastic achievement for the team. As this was Dodzi’s third competitive game for the county, he was also presented with his county tie by the association chairman—a proud moment for him and the school!

We’d also like to give a special shout-out to Mr. McGowan, who manages the County side. His dedication and leadership have played a huge role in this success—well done! 👏

Keep up the amazing work, Dodzi! We can’t wait to see what you achieve next. 💪🏅

This Week in Music: Creativity, Performances & Exciting Opportunities!

It's been another amazing week in the Music Department—from budding composers and incredible drumming performances to exciting upcoming events! Here’s everything you need to know:

🎵 Year 7 Composers in Action! 🎵

Our fantastic Year 7 students have been diving into their very first keyboard compositions this week! It’s been incredible to see their creativity and confidence flourish as they experiment with their own musical ideas.

🌟 Special shout-out to Mahdi, who has taken things to the next level! He amazed us all by independently producing a professional music score for his advanced piano masterpiece. What an outstanding achievement! 👏🎶

I can’t wait to discuss your composition with you and hear it performed next week, Mahdi! Keep up the brilliant work! 🎹✨

Drumming Excellence in Action! 🥁

The Music Department has been alive with rhythm this week, thanks to our incredible student drummers working with Mr. Gaze on their exam pieces, coursework, and drumming techniques. 🎶🔥

The standard has been phenomenal, and I couldn’t resist stepping in to watch as Mr. Gaze and Jack performed an incredible drum duet—such an inspiring moment! 👏

🎉 Well done to all our drummers for your dedication and hard work, and a special thank you to Jack for your commitment this week. Keep it up! 🥁🎵

New Extra-Curricular Loyalty Cards – Get Involved! 🎶

Exciting news! This week marks the launch of our brand-new Extra-Curricular Loyalty Cards!

🎟️ What does this mean for you?
✅ Join a music club—even if you've never tried one before!
✅ Step out of your comfort zone and develop new skills.
✅ Earn rewards for your commitment!

Check out our Extra-Curricular Music Timetable and find a club that’s right for you. And keep an eye out for even more clubs launching after Easter, once our Year 11 students have completed their coursework!

📢 Important Update: Keyboard Club has now moved to Tuesday mornings at 8:00 AM—don’t miss out! 🎹🎶