HEADTEACHER'S BLOG - 27th june 2025

“Best school day ever!” Yonatan had declared, and rightly so!

Now, as they headed to the beach, it was more than just a reward, it was a recognition of the progress they've made, the challenges they've overcome, and the community they’ve built together.

Here's to our Vikings: trailblazers of literacy, champions of growth, and now, well-deserved beachgoers. 🌊📚💪

Since then they have worked even harder, every single morning with Ms George as they practised their Word Study, Grammar and Comprehension.. celebrating every achievement and certificate earned!  

Personal Development Highlight

From Miss Sandhu, Assistant Principal

Big Questions from the NY Giants: Y7 Talk Politics with the Green Party

On Monday 23rd June 2025, the New York Giants were invited to spend an hour in conversation with Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle from the Green Party, discussing a wide range of important societal issues. Topics included the NHS, school policies, and online safety.

Throughout the session, the boys conducted themselves with maturity, professionalism, and emotional intelligence, especially when navigating challenging and sensitive topics. Their engagement reflected not only a strong depth of understanding, but also a genuine willingness to learn from different perspectives.

They began the conversation by introducing themselves, and concluded by warmly thanking Baroness Bennett for taking time out of her day to speak with them. The group represented the school with pride and made the event a meaningful and productive experience and they were even formally recognised by our local MP.

‘It is important that we continue to use our voice to spark change, even if we are young’.

‘I feel so proud to represent our school and it was so exciting to see someone in parliament listening to our views’.

‘I would definitely like to learn more about politics after today’. 

Well done, Giants — next stop, Parliament?

College Updates

From Mr Mitchell, Head of Westerly College

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? – Final Results Are In! 

Time for your weekly dose of college points drama, and what a finale we had in the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? event! 💥📚

Let’s break it down:

Monday & Tuesday:
🔵 Central and 🟢 Midlands... we missed you! No show = 0️⃣ points added to the leaderboard.

Wednesday:
🟡 Mercia came in strong with an impressive 27/30, big brains were definitely out in force! 🧠🔥

Thursday (today):
And then… Westerly happened. 💣They stepped up. They stayed cool.
They dropped a perfect 30/30 like it was nothing.
Full marks + full points = 40-point haul! Westerly, take a bow! 🔴🏆🎯

Huge shoutout to both Westerly and Mercia, teamwork, focus, and everyone playing a part made the difference. It was epic to see the energy and enthusiasm from both houses! 🙌💪

📊 Final Points Table After the Event:
🔴 Westerly – 310 points 🔥
🔵 Mercia – 240 points 💥
🟡 Central – 225 points 👀
🟢 Midlands – 195 points 🌱

The competition’s heating up, can anyone catch Westerly now? Stay tuned! 😉

Safeguarding Updates

From Mrs Metcalfe-Molinari, Assistant Principal

NOS Updates 

The National Online Safety programme publishes a weekly #WakeUpWednesday update for parents/carers. This week's free guide focuses on sharing kindness online. It includes suggestion like reaching out, thinking before commenting and recommending fun things. Last year, around one in five children aged 10–15 in England and Wales admitted experiencing online bullying: most commonly being insulted or sworn at, or having hurtful messages sent about them. To a child who’s being bullied, the world can seem like a bleak, negative place – but just one kind word can be a ray of hope: a turning point that brightens someone’s day and resets their perspective. That’s why ‘One Kind Word’ is the theme of Anti-Bullying Week 2021. We’re supporting this year’s event by bringing you ten top tips for beating online bullying by replacing it with kindness.

In our guide, you'll find helpful tips on reaching out, thinking before commenting and recommending fun things.

Behaviour & Attitudes 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

Weekly Sports Round-Up

From Mr Janes, Director of Sport

🏅 Year 10 Sports Leader Award: Leading with Confidence and Kindness

Last Friday, our Year 10 Sports Leaders represented LBS with pride at a local sports event held at Boldmere Social Club. Tasked with leading the Tri Golf activity, they welcomed pupils from 24 different primary schools, teaching them how to strike the ball, offering encouragement, and even joining in for a few celebratory dances at the end! 💃🏽⛳

The boys were a credit to the school, engaging naturally and confidently with both pupils and staff. Their ability to lead, support, and inspire younger children was widely praised, with several staff members commenting on their impressive maturity and positive energy throughout the day.

From demonstrating skills to building smiles, our Sports Leaders showed what it truly means to lead by example. 👏

Well done, boys, you’ve done us proud! 🙌

⚽ Year 7 Football Fixture
Queensbridge 4 – 5 LBS 

Lordswood Boys edged a 9-goal thriller away at Queensbridge, winning 5–4 in a match packed with ⚡ attacking energy, 🔥 standout moments, and 💪 gritty resilience. Despite a few defensive hiccups, the team showed real leadership and composure—earning praise from Coach Alfie and Mr Badu.

🔑 Match Highlights &⚽ Goals:

• • Noel opened the scoring with a deflected strike.

  • Abdoulie hit a 🎩 hat-trick—featuring a cool penalty and a clean volley.

  • Than-Than added a key goal on the counter to make it 5–3.
    
    

🛡️ Second Half Battle: Queensbridge kept pushing, but Lordswood held strong, Grayson led the back line, and Niya made a clutch save in stoppage time 🧤.

🌟 Standouts:

🏅 Player of the Match: Abdoulie – Clinical, calm, and composed.

🎖️ Leadership Award: Grayson – Vocal, fearless, and full of fight.

💥 Moment of the Match: Than-Than’s composed finish to restore the two-goal cushion.

Coach Alfie and Mr Badu praised the team’s leadership and resilience. A rollercoaster of a match that showed Lordswood’s fighting spirit, teamwork, and ability to grind out a tough result when it mattered most 👏.

🌟 County Nominations – Good Luck, Year 10!

Best of luck to our talented Year 10 students heading to their county nominations next Monday! 🏆 They’ll be training alongside other top players from schools across the region, all aiming to progress to the next phase of selection. It’s a fantastic opportunity to experience high-level training and competition, and we’re proud of them for getting this far.

Under 16s:
⚽ Birson
⚽ David
⚽ Andy
⚽ Eric

Under 15s:
⚽ Andrew

No matter the outcome, this is a huge achievement and an experience to be proud of. Go smash it, boys! 💪🔥

🎶 World Music Day Workshop – 20th June
We had a blast welcoming George Dixon Primary for a high-energy music workshop! From rhythm games to a full polyrhythmic percussion piece, the pupils wowed us with their teamwork and talent. Huge kudos to everyone involved – you smashed it!

🎷 Jazz Band Dazzles at Symphony Hall
Our Jazz Band lit up the stage at the B Music Summer Showcase, performing with style, confidence, and skill. Standout solos and slick grooves made it a night to remember. You did us proud!

👏 Thank You! Big thanks to everyone who helped make these events happen. A fantastic week celebrating the power of music!

🎤 Ex Cathedra Inspire Students – More to Come!
On Monday 23rd June, students from Years 7, 8, and 10 took part in uplifting singing workshops led by two fantastic vocal leaders from the renowned ensemble Ex Cathedra.

What started with shy voices quickly turned into confident, powerful singing—some students even danced at the front of the auditorium! A joyful, confidence-boosting day that celebrated the power of music and community.

**🎶 Coming Soon – All Together Now!
We’re thrilled to welcome Ex Cathedra back on Monday 4th July for All Together Now—our first-ever mass singing celebration with local primary schools. A day of unity, music, and joyful voices awaits. Don’t miss it!

🎶 Music Dates for Your Diary – Summer 2025 🎶

The summer term is full of exciting musical opportunities! From creative workshops to inspiring performances, here’s what’s coming up in the Music Department – make sure these dates are in your diary:

📅 Friday 4th July – All Together Now
A massed singing event in partnership with Ex Cathedra, featuring local primary schools.

📅 Wednesday 16th July – Pop Symphony Orchestra at the Youth Proms
Performing at Symphony Hall – a celebration of young musical talent.

📅 Thursday 18th July – Horizon Voices Visit LBS
A day of singing workshops led by this acclaimed vocal ensemble.