personal development & character education

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

We have had another purposeful week in school filled with lots of learning, progress and enriching experiences. Furthermore, our Y11 students started thier mock exams on Monday. It has been wonderful to see the students well prepared and keen to take on the support being offered by their teachers and support staff. A reminder for parents/carers that the mock exam timetable can be found here, and we wish the Y11 students every success for the second week of exams. 

As the winter draws in, your son will naturally spend more time indoors and a reasonable amount of that time will probably be spent online and gaming.  Many games encourage in-app spending which can be the beginning of a gambling addiction for many young people, and it is an issue that most parents are unaware of.

YGAM (Young Gamers and Gamblers Entertainment Trust) is a registered charity that is offering a 75 minute gaming and gambling awareness and information session for parents, grandparents and guardians.  The session is run online and is free of charge.

The session covers:

• Gambling: exploring the influences on children and young people

• Gaming: discussing the benefits and concerns of gaming, including microtransactions

• Understanding the blurred lines between gaming and gambling

• Recognising the signs of harm and where to go for support

Please click on the link for further information and to book.  https://parents.ygam.org/workshops/

Following on from the invitation in my blog last week, I'd like to encourage parents/carers to attend one of the upcoming parent focus group meetings where you will have an opportunity to hear about our plans for school development within a Multi-Academy Trust. Thank you for those parents/carers that have already booked a place. The event dates and times are listed below and you can click the link to book a place.

• Event 1 - Saturday, December 9th, 10:30 am - 11:30 am @ Lordswood Boys' School

• Event 2 - Thursday, December 14th, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm @ Lordswood Boys' School

CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Here is a snapshot of the events that took place last Friday.

In the morning, Y7 embraced the purpose of PSHE, looking at momentous speeches over time, then they created their own and presented to their peers.

In the afternoon, Y7 discussed how they could overcome anxieties and how to be a better student/ friend.

This tied in with national Anti-Bullying Week, World Kindness Day and our school HT1/2 virtues of leadership, respect and integrity.

Y8 reflected on the media's portrayal of body image and the impact upon our society, what constitutes a healthy and unhealthy relationship, and learning about Relationship & Sex Education (RSHE).

Y9 started the day with life saving skills, basic first aid and CPR, they then moved on to the importance of internet safety, sexting, FGM and the impact of acid attacks. 

As the 19th November sees the start of Road Safety Week, Y8 and Y9 were invited to listen to Gerrard McManus, whose daughter tragically lost her life on the Hagley Road.

He passionately spoke to our students about the increase in cars racing each other on already busy roads, the impact it has had on his family as well as the families of those convicted.  

Y10 had a busy day with expert speakers throughout their day.

Mrs Greatrix introduced them to the labour market during P1 and discussed the significant changes and reform of Post-16 qualifications. 

The Royal Air Force covered the various careers within their industry, anecdotes of their time in Afghanistan as well as the difference between various chinooks.

There was time for reflection and writing their career aspirations then in the afternoon sessions there were Further Education and career talks from Sandwell College and Virgin Media. 

My thanks to Ms Sandhu, all staff and your son's for the planning and engagement with such a purposeful and enriching event.

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

Please engage with our current consultation details relating to becoming part of a different multi academy trust by clicking here.

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@lordswoodboys.co.uk

Mr. L. Williams,

Principal,

Lordswood Boys' School.