HEADTEACHER'S BLOG - 20TH decemBER 2024

🎶 LBS WINTER SHOWCASE – A Night to Remember Forever! ❄️🎵

Last night, the halls of Lordswood were alive with music, talent, and community spirit as we hosted our spectacular Winter Concert! It was an evening that will stay in our hearts for a long time.

🌟 Unforgettable Highlights:

• Over 100 LBS students wowed the audience with their incredible musical skills, performing everything from classical and folk to jazz, Indian Bhangra, and military-style drumming. 🥁🎻🎷

• A heart-warming collaborative performance with St George’s Primary Year 5 students, who joined forces with our Vocal Group for a magical moment of unity and creativity. 🎤✨

• A packed auditorium of family, friends, and supporters, filling the air with cheers and applause, creating an unforgettable atmosphere. 🙌

🎺 A Big Thank You:
This night wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless efforts of our peripatetic staff, the dedicated team from B Music Charity, and everyone who played a part in bringing this vision to life. Your support made all the difference! A special thank you to Mrs Lowndes-Ford for all the organisation and bringing the event together and a thank you to all the staff that made this event a success.

This concert was a true celebration of music, diversity, and collaboration. To everyone who attended or participated, thank you for making the night so special. We’re already counting down to next year’s concert! 🎶✨

Year 7 & Literacy updates

From Ms Russell, Assistant Principal

Year 7 Embraces Peak Performance Initiative! 🎉

This half term, Year 7 students have had an incredible time participating in our brand-new Peak Performance extracurricular initiative. Designed to unlock potential and boost student performance, we’ve extended the school day on Tuesdays until 4 pm to allow every Year 7 student to explore a range of enriching activities.

These sessions have been carefully curated to build resilience, teamwork, creativity, literacy, linguistics, and physical activity—all while ensuring students have a lot of fun!

🌟 A Big Thank You
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone in the FS team for their unwavering enthusiasm and support in facilitating these opportunities. Your dedication has been truly inspiring!

💪 Highlights from the Courts
On Tuesday, the joy was palpable on the courts as students showcased their Touch Rugby skills! Under the expert guidance of Mr. Amjad, this popular session has helped students hone teamwork, physical coordination, and leadership skills, all while mastering the rules of touch rugby. Please enjoy the pictures below from this amazing initiative! 🏉✨

💃 Lights, Camera, Action!

As part of Peak Performance, some Year 7 students have opted to join the cast and ensemble of the school production Fame! Last night, they rehearsed their dance routines, building stage confidence while bonding with the wider school community. It’s heart-warming to see our Year 7s being supported and mentored by our seasoned school show veterans. 

Mindful Crafting: Getting Into the Holiday Spirit!

Ms. Clarke's mindfulness club got creative as they prepared for the festive season! They've been exploring mindfulness, emotional regulation, and the art of channeling their energy into focused concentration – and they were truly in the zone! 

Lordswood Publishing's First Release and Next Big Project!

The Lordswood Publishing House has successfully completed its first publication, The Lordswood Lifestyle magazine, which has now been sent to the professional printers! To grab one of the limited edition copies, be sure to reach out to chief editors Demir and Ishaq. Their exceptional teamwork has been evident in every step of the magazine's creation – from content development and Canva design to editing and final publication.

But there's no time to relax for this dynamic duo, as they're already diving into their next project: entering the Young Writers competition for a chance to be featured in the upcoming short story anthology, Fight or Flight!

College updates

From Mr Insley, Assistant Principal

🎉 LBS Writing Competition: Unleashing Creativity Across the School! ✍️📚

This half term, we proudly launched LBS' first whole-school writing competition, and what an outstanding success it has been! 🎊 Every student in the school took on the challenge, crafting their own unique piece of creative writing under the theme 'Discovery.'

💡 The Competition:
Judging was based on ideas and creativity, giving every student a chance to shine. The competition was fierce, with prizes (including £30 vouchers) and the title of LBS' Top Author up for grabs. The entries were truly inspiring, ranging from gothic discoveries and ancient artefacts to underwater adventures and heartfelt journeys of self and belonging. 

🙌 Special Thanks:
A huge thank you to the FS and English teams for making this possible, from launching and facilitating to carefully judging all the incredible entries. Your dedication is greatly appreciated!

🎉 The Winners:
During our end-of-term rewards assemblies, we were thrilled to announce the following winners:

Year 11
🏆 Karol (Central - 30 points)
🥈 Shaheem (Westerly - 20 points)
🥉 Nasr (Mercia - 10 points)

Year 10
🏆 Usman (Westerly - 30 points)
🥈 Muid (Westerly - 20 points)
🥉 Anshdeep (Central - 10 points)

Year 9
🏆 Jacob F (Midland - 30 points)
🥈 Jas S (Mercia - 20 points)
🥉 Jack L (Mercia - 10 points)

Year 8
🏆 Reon (Central - 30 points)
🥈 Samyar (Central - 20 points)
🥉 Navjot (Midland - 10 points)

Year 7
🏆 Ayyan I (Central - 30 points)
🥈 Amir R (Westerly - 20 points)
🥉 Aadil A (Central - 10 points)

🏅 College Points Totals:
🥇 Central - 130 points 🎉
🥈 Westerly - 90 points 🎊
🥉 Joint 3rd - Midland & Mercia - 40 points each 🏅

🌟 Celebrating Creativity:
This competition has been an incredible showcase of our students' imagination and determination. Well done to all participants—you’ve made us proud! Keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep discovering. 💫

A huge thank you to Ms George who has coordinated and led this competition. Here’s to more creative adventures next term! ✨✍️

Teaching & Learning updates

From Mrs Davis-Musabayana, Assistant Principal

🌟 Teaching and Learning Highlights This Week 🌟

🎉 Huge congratulations to our Year 9 students for their incredible writing efforts in Spanish class!

The students in year 9 are so proud to showcase to parents just how hard they are working in Spanish. 

• Our students have shown immense pride in their classroom work, demonstrating self-discipline, perseverance, resilience, and confidence—qualities that align perfectly with our school virtues.

• The competition, SPILL THE INK, celebrates the Year 9 Best Book Outcomes in Spanish, and we couldn’t be prouder of our winners! ⭐🏆

• Well done, Year 9! Keep up the fantastic work! Great work across the board—well done to all involved! 🎉

Thank you Ms Iosim for facilitating this opportunity and for being so passionate while supporting the students with their writing skills in Spanish.  

🌟 Teaching and Learning Highlights for Science This Week 🌟

• Mr Jackson: Kicking off with a bang! Students nailed the starter task and were fully engaged with the material. Great start to the lesson! 🚀

• Mrs Kpogho: Water and precipitation? No problem! Students dove right into the starter activity, making excellent connections. 🌧️💡

• Mr Horton: All in! Students were super involved in the starter task, showing great focus and enthusiasm. 🙌

• Ms Bunger: Hands-on learning at its best! Students smashed the practical activity and could clearly explain why they were doing it. Science pros in the making! 🧪💬

Amazing energy and engagement across Year 11 this week—keep it up! 💪✨

Year 11 updates

From Ms Bunger, Assistant Principal

As we reach the end of this term, it’s the perfect moment to celebrate the achievements of our Year 11 students while also reflecting on areas for growth. This term has been a pivotal one, filled with milestones and opportunities to shine.

Highlights of the Term:

• Prefect Appointments: Your leadership and commitment are setting a high standard for others to follow. We’re excited to see how you continue to lead in peer mentoring, charity work, and literacy initiatives.

• Mock Exam Success: A huge well done to those who excelled in the mock exams. Your hard work and determination are evident and greatly appreciated.

• Positive Behavior and Attitudes: Students consistently earning positive points for outstanding behavior, effort, and attitudes are true role models. Thank you for creating such a thriving school environment.

• High Attendance: Exceptional attendance ensures you’re making the most of every learning opportunity, and we commend those who’ve maintained this commitment.

Looking Ahead:
While there is much to celebrate, it’s also important to reflect on areas for improvement:

• Conduct: Uphold the high standards expected of Year 11 students by being respectful, responsible, and focused.

• Attendance: If your attendance needs improvement, make it a priority next term. Every lesson counts!

• Progress: Use your mock exam results to identify areas for growth. Take advantage of feedback from teachers and plan your studies accordingly.

• Intervention Sessions: Attend the sessions on the intervention timetable. These are vital for giving you the extra support needed to succeed.

Reflecting on these areas is crucial to how you can grow and set goals for success.

As we approach the Christmas break, I want to thank you all for your hard work and resilience this term. Year 11 is about more than academic success; it’s about building character and preparing for the future. 

To all students and their families, we wish you a joyous and restful holiday season. Have a prosperous New Year, and we look forward to seeing you ready to tackle the new term with enthusiasm and determination.

Finally, a big thank you to Mr. Noble for his unwavering support as Head of Year 11. Your dedication and care for the boys do not go unnoticed and are deeply appreciated!

📊 Mock Exam Results 📊

Well done, Year 11, on your mock exam results—your hard work is clearly paying off! We are very proud of the achievements and continue to support students where further support is needed.

The Y11 opened their results in assembly on Friday 20th December and the atmosphere was electric! This is a key opportunity to reflect on their efforts, celebrate their achievements, and identify areas for growth as theyr prepare for your final exams.💪📖

Safeguarding Updates

From Mrs Metcalfe-Molinari, Assistant Principal

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 several strategies and considerations for teaching children the importance of mutual respect – especially during disagreements 

Even among adults, it can be all too common to see disputes and differing opinions grow extremely heated, which is rarely helpful to anyone. When emotions run high, it can be easy to forget yourself and perhaps even say something you didn’t mean, hurting feelings or escalating the situation further.

For children, it’s just as important to avoid this kind of behaviour whenever possible; without the necessary guidance, however, they could struggle to identify any disrespectful behaviour, let alone recognise what they can do differently. This guide offers you expert advice on teaching children and young people to choose respect when interacting with their peers, helping to create an environment based on empathy and tolerance.

PSHE Updates

From Mrs Ali, Lead Professional for RE/PSHE

 Enjoy the video below of our students sharing what democracy means to them.

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: The Excitement Builds!  🎶

We’re now in our seventh week of rehearsals for Fame, and the energy is electric! Our talented students are pouring their hearts into acting, singing, and dancing, bringing their characters to life with passion and dedication.

It was fantastic to catch a sneak preview of this amazing production during the Winter Concert—it’s clear this show is going to be something special! 🎶✨

🎟 Mark Your Calendars: Tickets will be available to book in January—don’t miss out on the chance to see this incredible production. Stay tuned for more updates as the magic unfolds.

We can’t wait to share it with you! 💃🎤

Football Provision Part 1⚽

On Tuesday evening, our Year 9 and Year 10 football teams hosted West Brom School and Bartley Green under the lights for an exciting evening of matches.

The Year 9s delivered a dominant performance, securing a 6-2 victory. Logan Jones made a stunning debut, scoring two goals and earning the Man of the Match title. This match also marked Mr. Preece's final fixture with the school, finishing with a remarkable 100% win record with the Year 9 team.

The Year 10s played an entertaining game against Bartley Green. Despite creating numerous chances, Bartley took the lead against the run of play. Yonatan equalized for LBS, but Bartley snatched a late winner. The boys deserved more from the match, but a lack of finishing in front of goal proved decisive. Debutant Eric Akpewe shone in midfield with a fantastic performance.

A big well done to all the players for their efforts and commitment! 👏

Football Provision Part 2 ⚽

On Thursday night, it was the turn of our Year 7 and Year 8 football teams to shine under the famous LBS floodlights as they hosted Bartley Green.

Mr. Badu’s Year 7 team put in a strong second-half performance despite a narrow 3-1 defeat. The boys created chances to get back into the game, but Bartley’s resilient defence held firm to see out the match.

Mr. Janes’ Year 8 team fell just short in a tightly contested 1-0 loss, thanks to a heroic display from the Bartley goalkeeper. Lordswood dominated the game, forcing numerous saves, but Bartley capitalized on their chance and defended resolutely. Despite the result, the Year 8s showed excellent determination and were highly coachable, making their performance a real highlight.

Well done to both teams for their effort and resilience—it was a fantastic display under the lights! 🌟👏

🎷 Lordswood Jazz Band Lights Up Symphony Hall! 🎶

Last Thursday, 19th December, the Lordswood Jazz Band graced the stage at the prestigious Symphony Hall, delivering a show-stopping performance that left the audience in awe!

👏 Performing to a crowd of parents, siblings, B Charity music staff, and sponsors, the band dazzled with four fantastic pieces of music, each showcasing their incredible talent, passion, and dedication.

This unforgettable event was a proud moment for our school, as the Jazz Band represented us with excellence at one of Birmingham’s most iconic venues. 🎺✨

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the band and made this milestone possible. Congratulations to our talented musicians—you’ve inspired us all!

Here’s to reaching even greater heights in the future! 🌟🎶