EXECUTIVE hEADTEACHER'S BLOG - 23rd February 2024

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ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Welcome to my weekly blog - I hope you and your families are well and have had a good week!

We've had an excellent week at school, marked by the beginning of the second round of year 11 mock exams and a flurry of daily events. I'm particularly impressed by the high attendance rates among our students this week. While our school consistently maintains attendance levels above the national average, this week's turnout has been outstanding. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your support in ensuring that your sons attend school regularly.

In addition, I'd like to inform you of a couple of changes within the school. As you may know, following Dr. Kershaw's retirement as CEO of Central Academies Trust, I have assumed the role of CEO/Executive Headteacher for both Central Academies Trust and Lordswood Boys' School. Prior to the half-term break, I advertised for a Head of School position to enhance leadership capacity within the school and enable me to focus on further developing our Multi Academy Trust. I'm pleased to announce that Mrs. Kang, previously Vice Principal, has been appointed as the Head of School.

Furthermore, regarding the expansion of our Multi Academy Trust, and following up on the letter in my blog on December 22nd, you can review our full consultation document by clicking here. Mrs. Kang has also penned a letter to parents, which you can find below.

Dear Parents,

I am delighted to extend my warmest greetings to each of you, as the newly appointed Head of School at Lordswood Boys’ School. Having dedicated the past 18 years to teaching within this vibrant academic setting, I am both honoured and excited to embark on this new chapter, following the last five years as Vice Principal.

Stepping into the role of Head of School is a privilege that I do not take lightly, and I am genuinely eager to continue our journey together as part of this extraordinary community. Our shared journey holds the promise of being truly exciting, and I am wholeheartedly looking forward to contributing to the development, accomplishments, and success of our students.

As we dive into the current half-term, our focus revolves around the virtues of self-belief, compassion, and resilience. We firmly believe that instilling these values is crucial, serving as the basis for both personal and academic triumphs.

After all, our ethos is not simply a statement; it is the very essence that guides every part of our school. Central to our efforts is the recognition of literacy as the key to success, extending far beyond the confines of the classroom. Literacy, in our view, empowers students to navigate the complexities of the world, granting them a voice in shaping their community and beyond.

Critical to our success is the partnership between the school and parents. Your involvement is paramount to your son’s journey with us. I encourage you to explore our website, where you will discover valuable information. Should you require any additional assistance or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at: r.kang@lordswoodboys.co.uk.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education. Together, we will ensure their success and prepare them for a future filled with opportunities.

Kind regards,

Mrs Rajdip Kaur Kang

Head of School.

Upcoming events during half-term 4

You'll find it beneficial to make note of the upcoming events we have in store for this half-term, listed below. We'll send you reminders closer to each date. In the meantime, please ensure to add them to your diary.

Literacy Builds Success - from Ms Russell, Assistant Principal

"This week we hosted our 'Meet your Mentor' afternoon as part of the Literacy Trust's corporate volunteering scheme! Members of staff from Irwin Mitchell Solicitors are volunteering with us as Reading Mentors for some of our Year 8 students. The project aims to support reading and literacy as well as providing valuable links with the community to support career aspirations, social skills and developing self esteem. We welcomed 6 committed volunteers on Tuesday who will be meeting the boys each half term and we are excited to grow the provision further through our partnership with the Literacy Trust."

Pastoral Updates

Thank you for reading our pastoral update below and for your dedication to guiding your son's behaviour both in and around the school. Your support helps foster a positive environment for learning and personal development. We appreciate your partnership in promoting responsibility and excellence.

Week 1 HT 4 22.02.24.pdf

College Updates

We're excited to unveil the outcome of our first college event of the year in the video below. Congratulations to everyone involved with this brilliant event.

Highlights & Results Video.mp4

Dance, Performing Arts and Extra-curricular updates

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

Performing Arts

The students will be starting a new topic in their Dance lessons this term. We will be travelling the world and exploring how Dance is an important part of different cultures and traditions. The students will develop an awareness of how Dance is used to express identity, celebrate history, demonstrate pride and strength as a community. Our focus this week has been The Haka which is performed at the start of Rugby games by the All Blacks from New Zealand. The style was originally performed by the Maori Tribe as an intimidation strategy in battle. The Haka in today’s society is performed to show unity, strength and cultural pride. Our Year 9 students really enjoyed learning and performing this style, they even started their football game with The Haka to intimate the opposing team!

Extra-Curricular

Our new Extra Curricular timetable has started this week. A special mention to Miss Williams and Mrs Metcalfe-Molinari for leading Cooking Club last night and making delicious cakes. The students love participating in activities that are outside of the curriculum; it is fantastic to see them working in a new and challenging environment.

NOS Updates - 9 February 2024

The National Online Safety programme publishes a weekly #WakeUpWednesday update for parents/carers. This weeks update relates to 'SELF-REGULATION'.

As infants, we all rely completely on adults to help us resolve situations that are causing us to become upset or stressed. This is known as co-regulation. The next phase, once autonomy has begun to develop, is called self-regulation: this is when children start to become capable of exercising more control over their impulses and behaviour, and managing their own emotions.

This vital developmental milestone, however, isn’t reached spontaneously. Learning to self-regulate requires sensitive guidance from trusted adults – simply talking with children about their thoughts and feelings, for instance, can ease the route to self-regulation. This #WakeUpWednesday guide has some expert tips for supporting children to reach this goal.

I hope your find this information useful.

self-regulation.pdf

Sport fixtures and training schedules for week beginning 26 February 2024

Weekly sports round-up from Mr Janes, Director of Sport

Year 10 ESA Football

Last night, the Year 10 ESA team underwent training in anticipation of their upcoming matches. The students dedicated their session to enhancing their defensive capabilities, emphasising the significance of maintaining optimal distances and minimising opponents' time on the ball.

Year 8 ESA Football

On Tuesday evening, the Year 8 ESA squad engaged in training ahead of their upcoming league match against Harborne next week. Throughout February, the training sessions have emphasized fostering creativity in the attacking third, with an emphasis on exploiting available space and disrupting the opposition's defensive organisation.

Year 7 Football

Last night's training session for Year 7 was a resounding success, with over 40 students actively participating. The session revolved around small-sided games, resulting in numerous goals and showcasing the remarkable enthusiasm displayed by the students throughout the session!

Primary Provision

Last night, we had the pleasure of hosting a Regional Football Tournament, welcoming eight local Primary Schools to participate. Despite the recent poor weather conditions, it was a delight to see over 60 Year 5 students engage in competitive matches on our 3G surface. We eagerly anticipate the next Tournament scheduled for March 14th.

This morning, we had the pleasure of hosting Year 5 students from Welsh House Farm Primary School, offering them a taster morning at Lordswood Boys' School. They immersed themselves in Sport, Dance, and Music Workshops, while also exploring our school premises. The students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to break from their usual routine and experience life at a Secondary School. We are excited to welcome St George's next week for a similar experience.

New PE Kit Reminder

As announced in the blog on 15th December, click here, the new LBS PE can now be purchased from Clive Mark using the link below:

http://www.clivemark.co.uk/collections/lordswood-boys-school

From September 2024 it will be compulsory for all students to be wearing the new kit.

If you have any questions relating to the details above, please use the contact details below:

Mr Deeks, Director of Learning - SCP Faculty, j.deeks@lordswoodboys.co.uk
Mr Janes, Director of Sport, d.janes@lordswoodboys.co.uk

Weekly music news & schedules from Mrs Lowndes-Ford, Director of Music

MUSIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Attention all music enthusiasts! Our Spring Term 2 music clubs are set to kick off next week. Not only will our regular clubs be back in session, but we're also thrilled to unveil exciting new projects. Come join us to learn more about these opportunities. Some of our latest additions include the electric violin club, bass guitar sessions, and more. You can find copies of both our extra-curricular and Elite Music Academy timetables here.

VOCAL GROUP

Our vocal group will be holding lunchtime rehearsals throughout the Spring term, transitioning to after-school sessions post-Easter. Attendance is crucial as we gear up for an upcoming project outside of school premises. New members are warmly welcomed!

BIG BAND

Join our esteemed Big Band project, a collaborative effort with the local charity music organization, B Music. Open to string, brass, woodwind, and percussion players, rehearsals take place every Monday after school in G15. Our inaugural rehearsal will be on Monday, February 26th.

NISHKAM MEETS LBS PART 2!

Stay tuned for updates on our forthcoming musical collaboration with Nishkam Secondary School.

PRIMARY SCHOOL VISIT

Today, we had the pleasure of hosting Year 5 students from Welsh House Farm Primary, engaging them in a series of Music, Dance, and Sports workshops led by Mrs. Lowndes-Ford, Mrs. McKeon, and Mr. Janes. A heartfelt thank you to the Primary Ambassadors for their invaluable support during the events. We eagerly anticipate hosting more local primary schools in the weeks to come.

I hope you have a good weekend and I look forward to updating you with more news next week. Until then you can always contact me directly at: l.williams@centralacademiestrust.co.uk.

Mr. L. Williams,

CEO, Executive Headteacher

Central Academies Trust

Lordswood Boys' School • Hagley Road • Harborne • Birmingham • B17 8BJ

Tel:0121 464 2837

Email: enquiry@lordswoodboys.co.uk

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